Visiting Finland, Stoltenberg held a joint press conference with President Sauli Niinistö.
“We must address the security concerns of all allies, including Turkey’s concerns about the terrorist organization PKK.” Stoltenberg said that he and his team are in constant contact with officials from Sweden, Finland and Turkey.
On the question of whether an agreement would be reached for the participation of the said countries at the NATO Summit to be held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, on 29-30 June, Stoltenberg said that Turkey’s concerns were answered as soon as possible and efforts were made to solve the problem. He stated that it will not be a period of time.
‘THES ARE LEGAL CONCERNS’
“These are legitimate concerns. These are concerns about terrorism and arms exports. We need to understand and remember that no NATO ally has been more harmed by terrorist attacks than Turkey,” Stoltenberg said. said.
Emphasizing that Turkey plays an important role in the fight against the terrorist organization DAESH, Stoltenberg said, “Turkey plays a key role in supporting Ukraine and exporting the stranded wheat. So when such a vital ally shares her concerns about terrorism, we should take it seriously. And that’s exactly what we do.” That’s it. I welcome the clear message from Finland and Sweden that they are ready to discuss these issues.” he said.
INTERVIEWS WILL CONTINUE
Asked whether there was any progress in the negotiations with Turkey, Niinistö said, “Progress can be thought of as keeping our channels of dialogue open and continuing our talks.” said.
The Finnish President noted that his country does not have a different attitude towards Turkey’s concerns than other NATO countries, and that he finds it difficult to understand why they are targeted in this regard.
(AA)