Turkiye's contributions to NATO is not negligible, Erdogan says

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said NATO allies forgot Turkiye’s contributions to the military bloc when there are no threats to their national security, as Ankara opposes Sweden and Finland’s membership for their support of terrorist groups that threaten Turkey’s national security, Anadolu News Agency reports.

According to the report, Erdogan said his country’s increased defensive capacity has contributed to the alliance’s resilience and strength, in an exclusive article written for the British weekly, The Economist, on Monday.

“Turkiye’s contribution to NATO is not negligible. We will not say ‘yes’ to those [countries] who apply sanctions to Turkiye to join security organisation NATO,” Erdogan said, referring to Sweden’s 2019 decision to suspend arms sales to Turkiye over its military operation in neighbouring Syria.

On 17th May, Turkiye confirmed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed Turkiye’s opposition to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, shooting down a proposal by the Nordic countries to send delegations to Ankara to address the matter.

READ: NATO calls for considering Turkiye’s concerns over expansion