Statement by the Permanent Representative of the United States to NATO
The US Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador Smith, made assessments at the NATO alliance and Turkey partnership online meeting and responded to questions from members of the press.
Congratulating President Erdogan on the election results in Turkey, Smith said they look forward to working with the government elected by the Turkish people and deepening bilateral relations.
Smith stressed that they will have very strong and diverse results at the NATO summit that will take place in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
Ambassador Smith stated that the way to strengthen transatlantic security would be to “complete the process of accepting Sweden as a full member of NATO” and argued that Sweden “responds to Turkey’s concerns by making significant changes in its approach to terrorism.” .
“We believe ZELENSKY WILL REACH THE TOP”
Making a preliminary assessment of the Vilnius summit, Smith said: “We think he will come, we hope he will join us.” saying.
Smith said NATO will announce a new “NATO Ukraine Council” that will allow Ukraine to sit on an equal footing with NATO allies and discuss some common security issues.
Ambassador Smith said: “I do not believe that the Alliance is in a position to offer Ukraine an invitation to become a full member. But I can say that the commitment we made in Bucharest in 2008 is still valid”. he used his statements.
Responding to the question of whether it’s possible to say that if Sweden is accepted into NATO in Vilnius, it will speed up the F-16 process, Smith said the Biden administration supports Turkey’s efforts to buy F-16s and modernize its fleet, which Turkey, the United States and NATO said it was in their interest.
In response to a question about the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Smith stated that Turkey has played a very influential role in reaching a very critical agreement on a global scale since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War. We hope they continue “. He used his statements.
On the other hand, stating that they saw Russia slowing down the flow of grain, Smith accused Russia of engaging in a “policy of escalation.” saying.
“TURKEY’S SECURITY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ALLIANCE IS HIGHLY APPRECIATED”
When asked about Turkey’s contribution to NATO, especially in Kosovo, Smith said: “Both the US-Turkey bilateral security relationship, and Turkey’s security relationship with the Alliance in a broader sense, are much appreciated.” he gave the answer.
Noting that Turkey plays a pivotal role in many fields, from its support for Ukraine to the fight against terrorism, from the Balkans to financial cooperation, Smith said that all of these are highly appreciated by all NATO allies.
Asked what messages US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave during his meeting with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Smith said he could not go into the details of the private meeting in question.
When asked about the Turkish government’s comments on the fact that the extradition of the demanded terrorists to Sweden has not yet taken place, Smith argued that Sweden has enacted the anti-terror law, that this is a big step forward, but that it can take time to implement, and that this question should be directed to the Swedish government.
ZAPORIGIA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
When asked about Ukrainian President Zelenskiy’s accusations that Russia is considering a terrorist attack scenario involving radiation leaks at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Smith replied: “We are very concerned when we see Russia threatening to harm any nuclear power plant”. he used his statements.
Smith stated that they do not see any signs that such use of nuclear weapons is imminent in Zaporizhzhya, adding that they are closely monitoring and will continue to monitor the situation around Zaporizhzhya.
Asked if NATO would respond in such a situation, Smith said that NATO allies continue to support Ukraine.
Asked if US President Joe Biden and President Erdogan will hold bilateral meetings in Vilnius, Smith replied that there are opportunities for bilateral meetings at such summits, but he has no details to give on the matter. (AA)