NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg expresses concern over Turkey’s behavior

BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed serious concern over the course the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken the country, specifically its behavior in the eastern Mediterranean, its purchasing of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, and the worsening human rights and democracy violations in the country.

Stoltenberg made it clear that NATO could be an important platform for discussing these issues and resolving disputes between Turkey and its fellow NATO-member allies, such as Greece, noting the need for serious discussions on the various concerns raised by Turkey in the region.

The remarks coincide with a meeting of NATO foreign ministers next week, the first face-to-face NATO meeting since the election of U.S. President Joe Biden.

Turkey angered the thirty-member NATO alliance, especially Greece and France, because of its questionable behavior against NATO-partners in the maritime border dispute with Greece and its aggressive role in Syria, Libya, and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).