A compromise to end a NATO crisis on protective measures for Turkey in case of a US-led war on Iraq is likely to be agreed next Monday or Tuesday, diplomatic sources said today.
The refusal of France, Germany and Belgium to allow the 19-nation alliance to start defensive planning for Turkey has plunged NATO into one of the most serious crises in its 54-year history.
"There is a general move towards a de-escalation and the search for a solution early next week," one senior diplomatic source said.
He gave no details but other sources said NATO would reaffirm its solidarity with Turkey and allow national defence measures such as the transfer of Patriot air defence missiles and anti-chemical and anti-biological warfare units to Turkey.
The 18-member NATO defence planning committee, of which France is not a member, would agree to send AWACS early warning aircraft to Turkey.
A NATO spokesman said no meeting of the decision-making North Atlantic Council was planned today but he could not rule out a possible rare session tomorrow if there was a chance of a breakthrough.
The dissenting European allies had insisted it was premature for NATO to take any measures that would imply acceptance of military action against Iraq at a time when UN weapons inspectors were still trying to disarm the country peacefully.
The US ambassador to NATO, Mr Nicholas Burns, warned that the alliance's credibility was at stake and NATO Secretary-General Mr George Robertson circulated speaking notes to allied leaders, accusing the three of acting as "wreckers" of the alliance.
The sources said France believed the standoff had underlined the principle that it was up to the United Nations Security Council, not NATO, to approve any military action against Iraq.