UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS
By Faruk Zorlu
ANKARA (AA) – The chief of NATO on Sunday expressed gratitude to Türkiye’s support in sending reinforcements to Kosovo during a meeting in Istanbul with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the nation’s president.
Speaking to reporters following the closed-door meeting with Erdogan at the Dolmabahce Palace, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: "I thank Türkiye for sending reinforcements to northern Kosovo following the recent unrest" in the region.
On the situation in Kosovo, he said in recent days the Balkan country has seen "escalating tensions and unprovoked acts of violence targeting NATO soldiers."
Condemning the attack on the personnel of the NATO-led international peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR), he said: "KFOR and NATO will take all necessary actions to maintain a safe and secure environment for all citizens in Kosovo and will continue to act impartially, in line with our United Nations mandate."
He went on to say that NATO is now deploying around 700 more troops from its operational reserve and Türkiye is leading this effort to provide extra forces.
Both Kosovo and Serbia, which has massed troops near the border with neighboring Kosovo, "must take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation and refrain from further irresponsible behavior. They should engage in the EU-facilitated dialogue, which is the only path to a political and lasting peaceful solution," he added.
"Türkiye also contributes to NATO's training of Iraqi forces. It has pre-assigned forces to NATO's multinational battlegroup in Hungary," he said.
In Kosovo last week, at least 30 soldiers of the NATO-led international peacekeeping mission were injured in clashes with protesting Serbs.
Tensions have gripped Kosovo, with protesters and security forces clashing in the country's northern Serb-dominated municipalities over the election of ethnic Albanian mayors, and troops from Serbia at high alert just across the border.
Preparations have started for transferring a Turkish military unit to Kosovo by Sunday or Monday, the National Defense Ministry said this weekend.
Stoltenberg also stressed the importance of Türkiye's strong support for war-battered Ukraine, including spearheading reaching the Black Sea grain deal and making sure it continues.
On Saturday Stoltenberg attended Erdogan's inauguration ceremony and took the opportunity to congratulate him on his reelection last Sunday and the high voter turnout.
During their meeting, the two leaders also discussed important matters set to be discussed in July at NATO’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Among the topics are NATO's unwavering support to Ukraine, the reinforcement of deterrence and defense measures, and the significance of NATO's presence in Kosovo, he added.
Stoltenberg also highlighted Türkiye's significant contributions and its role in ensuring peace and security in the region.
On Sweden's bid for NATO membership, Stoltenberg stressed Türkiye's legitimate security concerns it has pushed for Stockholm to address before it greenlights the country’s membership, saying: "No other ally has faced more terrorist attacks."
- Sweden's path to NATO membership
On the possibility of Sweden's participation as a NATO member at the summit in Lithuania on July 11-12, Stoltenberg said: "It is still time to make that happen by the Vilnius summit.”
"We need to remember that all allies made a historic decision last summer at the summit in Madrid where also Türkiye along with all the NATO allies decided to invite both Finland and Sweden to become full members of the alliance. And since then we have seen Finland joining the alliance as a full-fledged member," he said.
Highlighting Sweden's progress towards NATO membership, Stoltenberg emphasized that Sweden has taken significant steps, including implementing a more relaxed regime in arms exports, strengthened counterterrorism legislation, and amending its Constitution.
"So now actually, it is as easy to export military material from Sweden to Türkiye as to any other NATO ally. And then we have seen also that Finland, Sweden, and Türkiye are now working much more closely," he said.
Acknowledging the challenges posed by demonstrations in Sweden against Türkiye and NATO, Stoltenberg emphasized the importance of protecting and respecting the fundamental values of democratic societies, including freedom of assembly and expression.
"We should remember why these demonstrations are taking place. The organizers want to stop Sweden from joining NATO. They want to block Sweden's counterterrorism cooperation with Türkiye and they want to make NATO weaker. We should not allow them to succeed," he said.
Highlighting the significance of the tripartite agreement signed last summer by Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden, Stoltenberg stressed the crucial role of the established permanent joint mechanism in the fight against terrorism.
"President Erdogan and I agreed today that the permanent joint mechanism should meet again in the week starting on the 12th of June," he added.
Membership in NATO will not only enhance Sweden's security but also contribute to its overall strength, he said, adding that he looks forward to "finalizing Sweden succession as soon as possible."