Stoltenberg Highlights Turkey's Importance for 'Western Family' as EU Mulls Sanctions

BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th December, 2020) NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg stressed Turkey's importance for the alliance on Thursday as EU leaders are set to consider whether to slap more individual sanctions on Ankara over drilling for hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean.

EU leaders are meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to agree on a bunch of issues, including Turkey, after demanding in October that it stop drilling in Cypriot waters. The alliance has so far sanctioned two Turkish nationals over "unauthorized" drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

"Of course, allies have expressed their concerns ... At the same time, we need to make sure that we realize the importance of Turkey as part of NATO and also as part of the Western family," Stoltenberg was quoted by the alliance as saying at the joint press conference with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

The secretary general recalled that Turkey borders Iraq and Syria and has also been "key" in fighting the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia). The country, he went on, also hosts around 4 million refugees.

According to Stoltenberg, NATO's foreign ministers addressed the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean at the December 1-2 meeting. The alliance, he noted, offers to "look for positive approaches" on the issue, being a "platform" where allies can discus differences in an open way, including in the Eastern Mediterranean.