NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Wednesday that he would travel to Turkey on Thursday to demonstrate the Alliance's support after the devastating earthquake and to plead for the ratification of the memberships of Sweden and Finland. to the Atlantic organization.
"
I am going to Turkey tomorrow to bring the solidarity of the Alliance during my talks with President Erdogan
", he explained during a press conference in Brussels following a meeting of defense ministers of the alliance.
Membership Question
Jens Stoltenberg specified that he would also address the question of Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
"
I will ask them to ratify the two accession protocols at the same time (...) But it is up to Turkey to decide whether it wants to ratify the two protocols or one of the two
", he explained.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested in early February for the first time that the Turkish Parliament could ratify Finland's membership without that, jointly filed, of Sweden, firmly blocked by Ankara.
Read alsoOtan: Erdogan is closing the door to Sweden more and more
Thirty countries have signed the accession protocols and 28 have ratified them.
Only Turkey and Hungary have not yet had their agreement ratified.
"
The main question is not whether the accessions of Finland and Sweden are ratified together, but that they are both ratified as soon as possible
", declared Tuesday the Secretary General of NATO.
"
The most important thing is that Finland and Sweden soon become members of the alliance and I will push for that
," he insisted on Wednesday.
