Türkiye’s concerns ‘all legitimate and must be addressed’: NATO chief

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye’s security concerns on Nordic membership bids are legitimate and must be addressed, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, ahead of the NATO summit in Madrid, Stoltenberg said “no ally has suffered more at the hands of terrorists ... including grievous attacks by the terrorist group PKK.”

The NATO chief said the alliance should redouble its efforts in the fight against terrorism, and a special session devoted to NATO's counterterrorism efforts will be convened during the summit in the Spanish capital.

“We are now working together on an agreement between Sweden, Finland, and our ally Türkiye to further address security concerns, including around arms exports and the fight against terrorism,” said Stoltenberg.

Sweden, along with Finland, formally applied to join NATO last month, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24.

But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting the terrorist groups.

For her part, Andersson said “our stance regarding PKK is crystal clear. It is listed as a terror organization by the European Union, and is regarded as such by Sweden.”

“Sweden condemns terrorism in the strongest possible terms. We are unequivocally committed to the fight against terrorists in all its forms and manifestations,” she added.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people.

Swedish, Finnish, and Turkish officials met in Brussels on Monday, Sweden's premier said, voicing “strong hope that dialogue can be successfully concluded in near future.”

“Sweden will contribute to the security of NATO as a whole, including Türkiye, in the spirit of solidarity,” she said.