NATO Secretary-General set to arrive in Turkiye on Thursday

NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, is due to arrive in Turkiye on Thursday for a three-day visit, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said, Anadolu News Agency reports.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry said Stoltenberg will be received by Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The NATO Chief will also meet Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu and National Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar.

The talks are expected to be centred round the extension of the Istanbul grain deal, and NATO membership bids of Sweden and Finland, which Turkiye has accused of supporting terrorist groups.

Finland and Sweden struck a deal with Turkiye in June, and Erdogan has warned his country will not give the nod to their memberships until Ankara’s concerns are addressed.

Separately, Cavusoglu held a phone conversation with his Dutch counterpart, Wopke Hoekstra. The two officials addressed the grain export deal, as well as the latest developments in Ukraine where Russia launched a “special military operation” in February.

According to diplomatic sources, Cavusoglu and Hoekstra also discussed the problems Turkish citizens face in getting visas.

He also spoke over the phone with Italy’s newly appointed Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, who is also deputy Premier.

Cavusoglu congratulated Tajani on his appointment, according to diplomatic sources.

The Turkish Foreign Minister also met Geir O. Pederse, UN Special Envoy for Syria, in Ankara. Cavusoglu tweeted that he “discussed latest developments in Syria & reiterated our support for political process.”

Turkiye President: No obstacle stands in way of Istanbul grain deal extension