STRASBOURG, France NATO was deadlocked today over the choice of a new secretary-general after Turkey blocked the candidacy of a Dane who angered Muslims by defending the right to print cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, officials said.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen was seen as the front-runner but he infuriated many Muslims by defending freedom of speech during an uproar over a Danish newspaper's publication of the cartoons in 2006. He has also angered Turkey by opposing its membership in the European Union.

Turkey has told other NATO nations that it remained opposed to Rasmussen on the grounds that he would be a bad choice at a time when NATO was trying to win support from Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to a diplomat from a NATO country who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

There was no decision at a working dinner Friday and no progress was made this morning despite intense efforts, the diplomat said.

All 28 NATO members must agree on the choice of a new leader.