NATO Members Should Work In Harmony To Combat Terrorism, Turkey Says
(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
NATO members should work in harmony to combat terrorism,
Turkey's communications director said, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah .
Turkey wants to see concrete and permanent steps taken to
prevent activities of terrorist groups that threaten its statehood
and citizens, Fahrettin Altun said in an interview with the Finnish
daily Helsingin Sanomat.
On the NATO bids of Finland and Sweden, he said: 'It is our most
fundamental right to expect the countries that we would pledge to
assist in times of war not to support or tolerate organizations
targeting our nationals.'
Turkish people no longer value words, but deeds, he said.
'For instance, we obtained a written assurance on Cyprus from
Finland, the European Union's term president at the 1999 Helsinki
European Council. And then, EU authorities stated that if Greek
Cypriots did not agree to the Annan Peace Plan (in 2004), they
could not become an EU member. However, all this was forgotten. The
current situation is evident,' Altun exampled.
NATO membership is a privilege, not a right, he said, adding:
'The current problem is not because Turkey does not comprehend
Finland, but rather because Finland does not take Turkey's security
concerns seriously.'
He also addressed the tolerated presence and operations of the
PKK terrorist group and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) in
Finland, saying the Baltic country should decide whether protecting
terrorist groups is more important than NATO membership.
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