Status: 10.11.2023, 14:34 PM
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg takes part in the BDI Day of German Industry (TDI). © Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Most NATO countries are on Israel's side in the war against Hamas. But one of them takes a different stance. Secretary-General Stoltenberg does not see the unity of the alliance at risk.
Berlin - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sees no problem for the alliance in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's proximity to the Islamist Hamas. "It's never easy when we have different views within the alliance," Stoltenberg said in an interview with the German Press Agency.
But that has "in a way no influence on what we do or don't do, because we don't play a role in this particular conflict."
For Erdogan, Hamas is a "liberation organization"
After the terrorist attack on Israel with more than 1400,<> dead, Erdogan had described the Islamist Hamas as a "liberation organization". The United States and the EU, which are allied with Turkey in NATO, classify it as a terrorist organization.
As a result of the Gaza war, Erdogan has broken off contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Netanyahu is no longer a kind of interlocutor for us. We deleted it, we crossed it out," Erdogan said. In the past, the Turkish president had already described Israel as a "terrorist state" because of its Palestinian policy and repeatedly presented himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause.
Hardly any criticism from NATO - Scholz wants to receive Erdogan
There has been little open criticism of Erdogan's stance from NATO allies. This also applies to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who is likely to receive Erdogan in Berlin next week.
Stoltenberg dismissed speculation that the allies' reluctance could be related to Turkey's pending ratification of Sweden's accession to NATO. "These are two very different issues," he said. The Turkish government did not submit the documents for ratification to parliament until after the start of the Gaza war. "So, in the midst of this crisis, Turkey has implemented the agreement we reached at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July this year, where Sweden pledged to do more in the fight against terrorism."
Stoltenberg stressed that no ally has suffered more terrorist attacks than Turkey. He pointed out that the Kurdish PKK is also classified as a terrorist organisation by the EU.
UN vote reveals NATO's disunity
The 31 member states of NATO also voted very differently in the UN General Assembly when passing the resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. Turkey, together with large EU states such as France and Spain, voted in favour. Germany, Britain and some other NATO members abstained. The U.S. and a few EU states, such as the Czech Republic and Hungary, voted with Israel against the resolution, which does not contain any criticism of Hamas.
"Even though NATO allies agree on many basic principles, I try not to hide the fact that there are also differences," Stoltenberg said. But that's because NATO is an alliance of 31 nations and this conflict is extremely complex and dangerous. "And that is also why it is so important to continue to work for a peaceful negotiated solution."
Stoltenberg sees no NATO role in the conflict
Stoltenberg cannot imagine a scenario in which NATO would play a role in the conflict. "NATO has never played a role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we do not aspire to play a role in this conflict," he said. NATO's main task is to protect and defend the alliance's territory. "Of course, in the event of an escalation of the conflict into a larger regional conflict, NATO must ensure that it is able to protect NATO territory." But the main task now is to prevent such an escalation. Dpa