More on this story, where, among other things, the nominee was criticized by Ankara of having “an irresponsible and unsentimental attitude during the [Muhammad] cartoon crisis.” “Muslim nations ask Turkey to veto Rasmussen as NATO head,” from DW World.DE, March 28:
Muslim leaders have called on Turkey to veto the possible nomination of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as NATO’s next secretary general. In a telephone interview with broadcaster NTV in Copenhagen, the Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had been approached by a number of Muslim leaders who were still angry about Rasmussen’s stance during the so-called cartoon row three years ago.
Erdogan, who leads the Islamist-rooted AK Party, said he phoned Rasmussen on Friday. He told him that Muslims were upset that Rasmussen had defended the 2005 publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. Erdogan’s remarks came after Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Ankara would not block Rasmussen’s nomination at a NATO summit in April.