Of all countries supporting Macedonia that promised to try and raise the issue of Macedonia’s NATO membership at the summit of the Alliance in Chicago, Turkey was the most persistent, diplomatic sources who attended the summit told Dnevnik. According to them, during the sessions, the Turkish officials had several bilateral talks with the Greek representatives concerning Macedonia and the invitation for NATO membership. Turkey urged the Greek officials to allow a debate to be opened among all participants regarding NATO’s enlargement at which Greece would voice its stance regarding the invitation for Macedonia’s NATO membership rather than block Macedonia’s membership before such a debate was even opened. In this way, Dnevnik’s sources say, it would have become clear whether Greece would breach again the Interim Accord with a new veto despite last year’s Judgment of the International Court of Justice regarding the conduct of official Athens at the NATO summit in Bucharest four years ago. Albania and Croatia also insisted that the Greek officials abandon their rigid demands.

Greece obviously retained its position that NATO’s enlargement should not be discussed at this meeting at all.