Erdogan: NATO’s credibility could be threatened if double standards are applied

The situation that has developed in connection with the war in Ukraine shows how urgent the issue of ensuring security within NATO is, and that the member countries of the alliance must be ready for geopolitical challenges, reads an article by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, published by The Economist.

The article says that the failure to take adequate measures in relation to collective security, especially on the issue of terrorist threats, has harmed security cooperation and created a deep distrust of the organization.

"Turkiye was right to ask NATO members to prepare for coming geopolitical challenges and, in spite of those who argued that NATO was irrelevant, Turkiye was absolutely right to state that the organization would be increasingly important.

As all NATO allies accept Turkiye’s critical importance to the alliance, it is unfortunate that some members fail fully to appreciate certain threats to our country. Turkiye maintains that the admission of Sweden and Finland entails risks for its own security and the organization’s future,” the article noted.

"Turkiye wants the candidate countries to curb the activities of all terrorist organizations and extradite the members of these organizations. We provided clear evidence to the authorities in these countries and waited for action from them. Also Turkiye wants these countries to support the anti-terror operations of NATO members. Terrorism is a threat for all members and the candidate countries should recognize this reality before joining. Unless they take necessary steps, Turkiye will not change its position on this issue. We believe that the reputation and the credibility of the alliance will be at risk if NATO members follow double standards in regard to the fight against terrorism.”

The Turkish president noted that Ankara has put forward demands for the security of the country’s borders and airspace, as well as for humanitarian security, as the largest wave of refugees has arisen in the region since the Second World War.

"Largely abandoned, our country dealt with all those crises by itself and paid a high price during that effort. Ironically, any steps taken under the NATO umbrella would have prepared the alliance for future conflicts and crises at its borders,” reads the article of the Turkish leader.

Turkiye believes that it is necessary to modernize NATO and make the organization more flexible in the face of new geopolitical and global challenges.

www.anews.az