As Turkey is a valued member of the NATO alliance, any security concerns it has need to be addressed, the NATO chief said Monday after discussing with Turkey’s foreign minister the membership bids of Sweden and Finland.
"Spoke with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu about the decisions by our closest partners Finland & Sweden to apply for NATO membership. Turkey is a valued Ally & any security concerns need to be addressed," Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter after a phone call with Cavusoglu. "We must stand together at this historic moment."
For any new member to join NATO, all of its members must agree unanimously, including Turkey. Over the last five years, both Sweden and Finland have failed to agree to Turkey’s requests for the extradition of dozens of terrorists.
Last Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that certain Scandinavian countries effectively act as “guesthouses” for terrorist groups.
