Gonul: "The govt and the TSK share the common goal of Turkey's EU accession"

For now, Turkey doesn't intend to take part in a proposed US missile defense system, but it does want to participate in European defense systems in addition to NATO, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said yesterday. Speaking to Sabah daily, he stressed the Turkish Armed Forces' role in European defense projects, saying, "The TSK considers Turkey's EU bid during its decision process on these kind of projects, and I believe the TSK's contributions to these project will have a positive effect on Turkey's accession talks." The government and the TSK share the same vision of Turkey's EU accession bid, said Gonul. Touching on Greek Cyprus' bid to join NATO, he said that Turkey wouldn't allow it, adding that the bid is making the Cyprus issue worse. Gonul also said that Turkey could send additional troops to Afghanistan but that this wouldn't include combat troops.