Russia no longer �security threat� to Turkey

Ria Novosti (Link) (August 23, 2010)

Turkey will strike four countries, including Russia, from its list of external security threats in a bid to revise the country�s national security strategy, national media reported on Monday.

The new national security strategy, the draft of which is to be considered at a National Security Council meeting in October, excludes Russia, Greece, Iran and Iraq from the so-called Red Book - a national security policy document - as �principal external threats,� the Milliyet daily said.

Turkey regards international terrorism and fundamentalism as its main external threats.

Ankara has been closely cooperating with the four former �security threats� in recent years and now regards them as its new partners.

Turkey�s relations with Russia have greatly improved since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan�s Party of Justice and Development came to power in 2002.

The draft strategy highlights close bilateral economic cooperation with Russia, good potential in trade and energy, and �a shared vision of stability in the Caucasus.�