NATO to ‘sit down, address’ Türkiye’s concerns, says Stoltenberg

WASHINGTON (AA) – NATO will address Türkiye’s concerns about Sweden and Finland’s membership bids, the alliance’s chief said Thursday.

“When an ally, Turkey, rises concerns, then we have to do what we always do in NATO and that is to sit down, address those concerns and then find a united way forward,” Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at the White House after meeting President Joe Biden.

“That’s exactly what we’re doing now. We are in close contact with Ankara, with the political leadership there. I’ve spoken to President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan and in also very close contact with Sweden and Finland,” he said.

Stoltenberg will convene a meeting with senior officials from three nations ahead of a June 28 NATO summit.

In addition, he said Türkiye should be recognized as “an important ally,” which he said “contributes to security in many different ways.”

He cited Türkiye’s “strategic geographic location” bordering Iraq and Syria and its “key role” in the fight against the ISIS/Daesh terror group.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO on May 18, a decision spurred by Russia’s war on Ukraine, which began Feb. 24.

But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to their membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting groups such as the PKK/YPG and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

All membership applications must be met by unanimity in the 30-member alliance to be successful.