NATO European commander hails Turkey's role

Turkey is an extremely important state, US Admiral James Stavridis, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe (SACEUR), said in Washington on Wednesday. "It is a hinge state between Europe and the Levant and South Asia, and indeed the entire arc of the Islamic world," Stavridis told the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee. Stavridis called Turkey's presence in NATO extremely important, saying he thought it was very helpful in maintaining Turkey's orientation toward and with the West. The admiral added that Turkey, as the only Muslim nation in NATO, has been extremely helpful in assisting all other nations in understanding the cultural mores of the Islamic world. "We have learned a great deal and have drawn on their active support," he said.