Stoltenberg: Turkey’s security concerns are legitimate

The security concerns raised by Turkey over Finland and Sweden’s announcement of NATO membership are legitimate, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday during a visit to Finland.

“These are legitimate concerns. We are talking about terrorism, we are talking about the export of weapons, ”Stoltenberg said at a joint press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö during a visit to his summer residence in Naantali.

Last month, Sweden and Finland applied to join a Western defense alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But they faced opposition from Turkey, which accused them of supporting and harboring Kurdish militants and other groups it considers terrorists.

Stoltenberg said Turkey is a key ally of the alliance due to its strategic position on the Black Sea between Europe and the Middle East, and cited the support it has provided to Ukraine after Russia sent troops into the neighboring country on February 24.

“We must remember and understand that no NATO allies have suffered more terrorist attacks than Turkey,” Stoltenberg said, using the Turkish pronunciation of the country’s name favored by Turkey and its President Tayyip Erdogan, Reuters reported.

Reactions

Stoltenberg’s statements outraged not only the Greeks and Cypriots, who attacked him on social networks.

NATO chief @jensstoltenberg says Turkey’s security concerns are legitimate❗️

What a disgrace the SG of NATO to act as spokesperson of bully Erdogan justifying his inexcusable blackmail of NATO instead to support the democracies of Finland 🇫🇮 & Sweden 🇸🇪 https://t.co/QXFfMkz2B5

— Marios Karatzias (@MariosKaratzias) June 12, 2022

NATO chief @jensstoltenberg says Turkey’s security concerns are legitimate❗️

What a shame for the NATO Secretary General to act as the spokesman for Erdogan’s bully, justifying his unforgivable NATO blackmail, instead of supporting the democracies of Finland and Sweden

Stotemberg is not accountable to electorates
He represents a military alliance that seeks the interest of the US military industrial complex mainly
His are mere platitudes on the concern of Turkey

— DThomas (@DThomas27855520) June 12, 2022

Stotemberg is not accountable to voters. He represents a military alliance that pursues the interests of the US military-industrial complex in the main. These are just platitudes about Turkey’s concern.

The silly mollycoddling of 🇹🇷’s bogus claims will only produce more brazen demands. What is truly legitimate is NATO members’ growing concern with 🇹🇷’s authoritarian and expansionist slide, as well as 🇹🇷’s de facto support of 🇷🇺 through the vetoing of exemplary democracies 🇫🇮🇸🇪.

— Amman Kuzum / Αμάν Κουζούμ (@AmanYavroum) June 12, 2022

The stupid lulling of Turkey’s fictitious claims will only lead to even more brazen demands. What is truly legitimate is the growing concern among NATO members about Turkey’s authoritarian and expansionist slide, and the de facto support for Russia and Turkey through vetoing the exemplary democracies of Sweden and Finland.

what does @jensstoltenberg say about #Turkey preparing the ground for an invasion of #greece? Is that also a “legitimate concern”?

— Georg von Karajan (@GeorgVKarajan) June 12, 2022

what does @jensstoltenberg say about #Turkey preparing the ground for the #Greece invasion? Is this also a “legitimate concern”?

So far, there has been no reaction from official Greece, which sees its sovereignty violated too often by Turkish fighters and faces Erdogan’s expansionism and threats day by day, and goes even so far as to question Greek sovereignty over such islands. like Chios, Lesvos and Samos.

PS Someone asked if the Greek Foreign Ministry had picked up the phone and asked Stoltenberg for “clarifications”. Answer: No, I haven’t and probably won’t. They already understand very well that Turkey is a “more important” ally for NATO than Greece. And Valentin Kotlin is not in vain saidthat in the event of a Turkish attack in Brussels, as well as in Washington, they will most likely express “deep concern”, and, perhaps, they will sell more weapons. And then what was the point of giving the United States territory for 8 military bases?

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