Erdogan Urges NATO Allies To Respect Turkey's Security Concerns

Turkey expects its NATO allies to respect and support Ankara's concerns about its security, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2022) Turkey expects its NATO allies to respect and support Ankara's concerns about its security, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

"If we are allies, then Ankara's concerns about its security and borders should be respected and supported. We see that there is no such attitude toward us," Erdogan said during a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

Erdogan discouraged Finland and Sweden from sending delegations to Turkey next Monday, as scheduled, saying their visit will not change Ankara's opposition to their membership in NATO as his country "will not make the same mistake twice.

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"We always support the alliance and allied spirit. But we cannot say yes to every proposal, we cannot say yes to an alliance with those countries that support terrorists who threaten Turkey's security," Erdogan noted.

Earlier in the day, the ambassadors of Sweden and Finland submitted their countries' applications for NATO membership to the alliance's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, at the headquarters in Brussels.