Macron criticizes Turkey’s failure to adhere to NATO values
PARIS / ANKARA — On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron held a press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in which he implicitly criticized Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“Leaders of NATO countries must clearly declare their commitment to the values and rules of the Alliance during the upcoming summit on 14 June,” Macron stated.
Macron called on NATO leaders to discuss and clarify the concept of cohesion between NATO members, indicating that solidarity between allies is not just a word, but rather it implies duties and responsibility towards each other, as well as the commitment of each member to respect international law.
In a clear reference to Turkey, Macron stressed the importance of not preferring national interests over NATO, citing what happened in Syria, the eastern Mediterranean, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Caucasus.
Stoltenberg affirmed that NATO leaders will work in the future to strengthen their solidarity, by conducting further consultations on issues that undermine the security of NATO countries.
He also reaffirmed NATO’s basic values and the commitment of NATO members to collective defense, including increasing investments.
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