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US General Sees Hope for Ties with Turkey

Jeff Seldin

   WASHINGTON - Growing tensions between Turkey and the United States do
   not have to result in the end of the long-standing alliance despite
   some major rifts between Ankara and Washington.

   The most notable split has come over Turkey's decision to proceed with
   the purchase of Russia's top-of-the-line missile defense system, the
   S-400, seen as a threat to NATO defense systems and to the U.S. F-35
   stealth fighter jet.

   But the commander of U.S. European Command believes both countries have
   enough in common to salvage the relationship.

   "The mil[itary]-to-mil[itary] convergence far outweighs the
   mil[itary]-to-mil[itary] divergence with the U.S. and Turkey and with
   NATO and Turkey," General Tod Wolters told reporters during an
   appearance in Washington Tuesday.

   "I saw no cracks in the armor in Turkey's willingness to work side by
   side as a NATO partner with us," he added, referring to talks with
   Turkish officials during the recent NATO meeting in London. "That's
   what I know from my foxhole."