NATO chief meets Turkish President Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Ankara.

Their meeting on Monday focused on major global issues, including the war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East.

Ahead of the meeting, Rutte said: “I am looking forward to meeting President Erdogan to discuss the growing challenges to our collective security — including the threat of terrorism, the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East.”

“In an increasingly unpredictable world, Türkiye makes invaluable contributions to our Alliance, reinforcing deterrence on our Southern flank,” he said.

Rutte also underlined that Türkiye “has the second-largest army in NATO, an impressive defence industry, and has been a strong and committed ally for more than 70 years.”

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasar Guler also attended the meeting held at the Presidential Complex. It marked Rutte’s first visit to Türkiye in his current post, which he took last month, the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

Fidan also held separate one-on-one talks with the NATO chief, the foreign ministry said.

Details of the meetings were not disclosed.

Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, succeeded the long-serving Jens Stoltenberg as NATO’s 14th secretary-general in October.

Türkiye has been a member of the alliance since 1952 – over 70 years.

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