Turkish leaders are suggesting they might block the prime minister from becoming the next Nato secretary general, should his name come up for a vote

Reports that Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is in the clear to become the next Nato secretary general are premature, according to Turkish government officials

Despite officially denying that he is in the running, Rasmussen has repeatedly been named as a likely candidate to replace out-going secretary general Jaap De Hoop Scheffer when he steps down later this year.

After the United States apparently lent its support to Rasmussen last week he appeared to distance himself from the field of other potential candidates. Turkey, however, has expressed hesitation.

‘We have not taken a position yet. When we decide we will take the position of what is in Turkey's interest and in the interest of NATO as a whole,’ an anonymous Turkish diplomat told Reuters news agency.

Nato member states can veto any candidate, although generally a strong majority consensus in the alliance prevails in such matters.

But Suat Kiniklioglu, Turkey’s top foreign policy official, told Fox News his ruling AKP party is staunchly opposed to Rasmussen as Nato’s leader.

‘It is unacceptable that Nato be headed by an individual who has in the past rudely disrespected our values and religious beliefs,’ said Kiniklioglu.

Turkey’s president, Abdullah Gul, said that his advisors were working on the issue

‘When a decision needs to be made a decision will be made,’ he said.

As Nato’s only predominantly Muslim country, Turkey has expressed reservations about Rasmussen given his stance during the 2006 Mohammed cartoon crisis. Rasmussen’s position was that the cartoons were a matter of free speech and and that he was unable to apologise to Islamic countries for actions taken by a privately owned newspaper.

Many Turks are also negative toward Rasmussen because of his reported opposition to Turkey's membership in the European Union and his allowing Kurdish television station Roj TV to broadcast from Denmark.

Should Rasmussen become secretary general, it would be the first time a country’s sitting prime minister has been chosen to lead the alliance.