Baden-Baden, Germany  - NATO leaders meeting in the German resort of Baden-Baden failed to reach consensus late Friday on naming Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the next NATO secretary general, officials told dpa, the German news agency.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul resisted impassioned pleas by US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to agree to have the 56-year-old Rasmussen succeed outgoing NATO head Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

Dutchman de Hoop Scheffer, who turned 61 on Friday, has said he would leave his post at the end of July.

Officials said discussions over selecting a new NATO head would continue on Saturday, casting a shadow over delicate talks on other vital issues due to be addressed on the second day of the two-day summit celebrating the alliance's 60th birthday.

Gul and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have refused to endorse Rasmussen because of his failure to take action against the 2005 publication in Danish media of cartoons deemed offensive towards the Muslim Prophet Mohammed.

Erdogan also complained about Denmark's hosting of Roj TV, a satellite broadcaster with close ties to the separatist Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).

The failure was also a body blow to Merkel, who had come out publicly in support of Rasmussen and demanded a rapid end to the discussions.

Earlier Friday, Merkel said she was convinced NATO leaders would overcome their divisions and choose a new secretary general during Friday's dinner-time talks in Baden-Baden.

"I am convinced that we should succeed tonight in appointing a new NATO secretary general," Merkel said after holding talks with Obama.

Her remarks were pointedly aimed at convincing Turkish leaders to change their stance.

On Friday morning Rasmussen held meetings with his cabinet and confirmed reports that he was a candidate for the post.

Describing the Danish prime minister as "a good choice" for NATO, Merkel said unanimity over his selection would make him "a strong secretary general."

But Turkey is a key NATO ally and one of its biggest contributors in terms of troops. Its strategic location, and the fact that it is a Muslim nation, gives it a powerful voice within the alliance. (dpa)