With Dirioz at key post, set to be vigorously active in NATO

Following the recent appointment of top Turkish diplomat Huseyin Dirioz as the new deputy secretary-general to NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Turkey is planning to pursue a more dynamic diplomacy in both NATO and the international arena. Accordingly, Turkey will work to make sure that fight against the terrorist PKK remains an important concern for the security alliance, urging member countries to act in concert with Turkey in fighting the group. Dirioz's appointment to the key NATO post is also expected to weaken claims by Athens that Turkey violates Greek airspace because Turkey notifies NATO about all its training flights over the Aegean Sea. Among other items that Turkey plans to bring to the NATO agenda are the Cyprus issue and the appointment of a special envoy to the Middle East. In this way, Turkey wants to gain NATO's support for its diplomatic efforts in the international arena. Dirioz, a former foreign policy adviser to President Abdullah Gul, has been designated Rasmussen's chief adviser on political-military policy and planning issues, including logistics, missile defense, terrorism, WMD issues, nuclear policy, and defense aspects of cooperation with partners and international organizations. He will be responsible for the development and delivery of NATO's defense policy and for planning mechanisms to support national and collective defense and force planning. Dirioz will have an important role in the political motivation of the new strategic concept expected to be adopted at the fall NATO summit in Portugal. Dirioz will be responsible to the North Atlantic Council as long as he assumes this position. He earlier served as the Foreign Ministry spokesperson and ambassador to Jordan.