Turkey’s security concerns in opposing Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership applications are genuine, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who visited Finland on Sunday.
‘These are valid issues. This is about terrorism and weapons exports,’ Stoltenberg made the remarks during a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto at his summer villa in Naantali, Finland.
In reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied to join the Western defence alliance last month. However, they have experienced criticism from Turkey, which accuses them of sponsoring and harbouring Kurdish insurgents and other terrorist organisations.
Stoltenberg said Turkey was an important friend for the alliance because of its strategic location on the Black Sea between Europe and the Middle East, and he underlined the assistance it has given Ukraine since Russia launched soldiers into its neighbour on Feb. 24. Moscow refers to its efforts as a ‘special military operation.’
‘We must remember and recognise that no NATO ally has experienced more terrorist assaults than Turkiye,’ Stoltenberg added, using Turkey’s preferred Turkish pronunciation of the country’s name.
Stoltenberg and Niinisto stated that talks with Turkey would continue, but provided no indication of progress.
‘There was never a timeline for the summit in Madrid,’ Stoltenberg added, referring to a NATO gathering in Madrid at the end of June.
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