NATO expected to take on a Turkish diplomat in on a top position

Ambassador Hüseyin Diriöz, recently appointed to the Italian capital, has changed his mind and is waiting for a top NATO position, as the alliance’s officials hinted he might soon be picked as an assistant secretary-general, the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review has learned.

Diriöz had applied for a top position in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization following an unofficial deal between Turkey and member countries last summer. Turkey withdrew its objection to the election of former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as secretary-general of the alliance when promised that one of his top aides would be a Turkish diplomat.

Diriöz went at the beginning of the year to Brussels, the alliance’s headquarters, to have an interview for the post of assistant secretary-general for political affairs and security policy. This is a key position, as the person holding this post is responsible for advising the secretary-general on political issues affecting the security of the alliance, including NATO’s partnership relations and its interaction with other international organizations.

But the position was granted to German diplomat Dirk Brengelmann.

The government then decided to send Diriöz to replace Ali Yakıtal, the former ambassador to Rome, who was called back for investigation on alleged claims of sexual harassment.

But the office of the secretary-general has hinted that some of the assistant secretary-generals will be replaced. There are currently six assistant secretary-generals.

Diriöz, who was preparing to go to Rome as ambassador, decided to go to Brussels to take up a NATO position, sources familiar with the issue told the Daily News. Working for many years as the spokesperson of the ministry, Diriöz has also served as ambassador to Amman, Jordan.

Turkey objected to Rasmussen’s appointment as secretary-general, arguing he mismanaged the cartoon crisis in 2006, which left several dead during worldwide protests against cartoons published in a Danish newspaper that depicted the Prophet Mohammed.


/Hurriyet Daily News/