18 Febr 2002

Turkey and Greece celebrate 50 years of NATO membership "It has been half a century of strong solidarity with the entire Atlantic community, and determined contribution to Euro-Atlantic security", stressed NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, in a statement on the 50th anniversary of Greece and Turkey in NATO. Both countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty on 18 February 1952 and have been "key contributors" in promoting the security of the Euro-Atlantic area, and more specifically, NATO's Southern Flank. This special anniversary coincides with a new round of NATO enlargement, which is set to take place at the Prague Summit in November 2002. It is expected that NATO will invite one or more of the nine candidate countries to join the Alliance. Necessary qualifications for membership are based on the overall ability of states to contribute to peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic area and to further the principles embodied in the North Atlantic Treaty. Lord Robertson added that "NATO's success over the past decade has demonstrated conclusively that the bond between Allies remains as strong as ever, and that NATO remains an incomparable agent of positive change." Additional information: NATO Press Release (2002)019: Statement by NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson on the 50th Anniversary of Greece and Turkey in NATO - 15 February 2002 NATO Basic Texts: The North Atlantic Treaty - Washington D.C., 4 April 1949 Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of Greece and Turkey - London, 22 October 1951