Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the selection of a new head of NATO "will be made within the framework of strategic wisdom and justice", Anadolu Agency reported, quoted by BTA.
"No one should doubt that we will make our decision within the framework of strategic wisdom and justice," Erdogan said yesterday at a joint press conference in Istanbul with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is a candidate for the next NATO Secretary General. .
Turkey is one of four countries still opposed to Rutte's appointment as head of the military alliance, the Netherlands' national news agency ANP noted.
At the meeting with Rüte, Erdogan emphasized that it is very important for Turkey to start work on modernizing the customs union between Turkey and the EU as soon as possible. According to him, Ankara expects support from the Netherlands in the relations between the EU and Turkey, so that Brussels treats these relations from a “fair and strategic perspective”, informed the Anadolu Agency.
Erdogan said he and Rutte discussed preparations for the NATO summit to be held in Washington in July.
According to Erdoğan, it is important that the future Secretary General gives priority to preserving the main role of NATO in ensuring Euro-Atlantic security.
"Furthermore, it is essential to make intensive and strong efforts similar to those of (current NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg) to remove sanctions, restrictions and obstacles in the defense industry among allies,”, the Turkish president noted , quoted by the Anatolian Agency.
Erdogan said he also shared this with Romanian President (Kalus) Iohannis in a telephone conversation held at his request last week.
Iohannis also announced that he is running for NATO Secretary General.
The Turkish president said the fight against terrorism was also on the agenda of his meeting with Rutte, adding that he stressed: "In the spirit of the union, no terrorist organization, in particular the PKK and its ramifications", informs the Anatolian Agency.
Erdogan and Rutte also discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip and the war in Ukraine.
The Turkish president noted at the press conference with Mark Rutte that the volume of bilateral trade reached 13.9 billion dollars last year and that Ankara hopes to initially increase it to 16 billion dollars and then to 21.4 billion dollars.
"With their investments in the amount of 6.4 billion dollars, Turkish entrepreneurs provide jobs for about 80,000 people in the Netherlands," President Erdogan also noted.