Retired Turkish sergeant returns his medal to NATO

By Arif Yakici

ISTANBUL

A retired Turkish sergeant has returned his NATO medal in the wake of the recent drill incident in Norway which prompted a strong reaction from Turkey.

Last week, Turkey withdrew its 40 soldiers from NATO's Trident Javelin exercise in Norway after a civilian Norwegian official depicted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an "enemy collaborator".

A portrait of Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was also shown in the "hostile leader list" during a computer-assisted exercise of the drill.

“I could not have been indifferent to disrespect that was shown to Ataturk and our President Erdogan," retired sergeant Veli Karaman told Anadolu Agency.

“That’s why I sent back the NATO medal and certificate of merit,” he said. “We should do whatever we have to do for our state’s unity and togetherness.”

He was sent to Afghanistan under the NATO’s umbrella in 2010. For his seven-month ‘successful’ duty-period, he was given a medal signed by then NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Karaman retired in 2014.

On Tuesday, retired Turkish army major Zafer Oguz also returned his NATO certificate and medal in order to protest the incident.