Jens Stoltenberg: Turkey Is Important Country for NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with French daily Figaro that Turkey is a very important country for the alliance.

"All allies criticized Operation Peace Spring, but no one spoke of Turkey's place in NATO. Turkey has allowed its allies to use its bases while fighting the Islamic State.

Turkey is the only NATO country on the border with Syria and Iraq. It welcomed 3.6 million refugees. Turkey is very important to NATO. To find out, it's enough to look at the map and look at Turkey's geostrategic position," Stoltenberg noted.

Commenting on the recent statement by French President Emmanuel Macron that "NATO is suffering brain death", he said that "NATO is vital for security issues".

Stoltenberg said  that the best way to address any differences "is to sit down and discuss them and to fully understand the messages and the motivations."

"My message is that NATO is adapting, NATO is agile, NATO is responding," he told reporters ahead of a NATO defense ministers meeting on Wednesday, DW reported.

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