3000 soldiers to European army

Ankara - Milliyet

       Turkey announced that it wants to join Euroupen Union's urgent response army which will start in 2003 with a 3000-strong brigade.
       According to information given by military sources, in an application submitted to EU officials in Brussels, Turkey told that it could send a brigade to the "60.000 strong urgent response force" which was put as a headline goal at the Helsinki summit.
       The European Union had decided at the summit to form a 60.000 strong force with soldiers from member states under the European Security and Defence Identity. They had decided to prepare the army by 2003.
       Besides this proposal to EU, Turkey also applied to Strasbourg based EUROCORPS to tell it's ready for cooperation. EUROCORPS comprise of soldiers from Germany, France, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg.