Senior Turk military officers said they opposed an EU rapid deployment corps because it might be used in the Aegean area to protect Greek interests. The Turks have asked the EU to consult with Ankara on EU s military activities near Turkeys borders. In an interview that appeared in the Washington Times, Turkeys armed forces chief of staff General Huseyin Kivrikoglu also said that "Turkey deserves Europe more than many European countries. ... It has been a NATO member since 1952. It has contributed more to the security and defense of Europe than many other countries." Turkey has NATOs second-largest armed force.