Critical week in NATO: remarkable reminder about Erdogan

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, discussions about Sweden’s membership in NATO continue.

As negotiations for Sweden’s NATO membership, which Turkey and Hungary opposed, continue, what will be the outcome of the NATO Leaders’ Summit to be held in Lithuania this week is a topic of much public debate. international.

As Turkey made statements that Sweden was not cooperating enough in the fight against terrorism, the Associated Press, a major US news agency, collected a remarkable piece of news ahead of the meetings to be held this week. The news headlined “NATO unity to be tested at Vilnius summit” included comments from some diplomats and officials.

“THE CRACK CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY”

Douglas Lute, the US representative to NATO under Barack Obama, one of the former US presidents, commented: “The absence of any message of rupture or unity creates an opportunity for those who are against NATO.” Lute stressed that there should be no cracks or disconnects within NATO.

While US President Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan commented: “I’m sure Sweden will join NATO in the not too distant future,” AP reporters recalled that it’s unclear if this will happen in the top.

AP reporters wrote that President Erdogan was also part of a similar tension in the past. “This is not the first time that President Erdogan has used a NATO summit for Turkey’s interests. In 2009, Erdogan blocked the election of then-NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, but gave his approval after securing the appointment of Turkish officials to senior NATO positions.

“THEY ASK HERE…”

In the news, “Another person who will be the focal point in Vilnius is President Erdoğan, the person who is actually preventing Sweden from joining NATO. Erdogan was making accusations against Sweden.”

Max Bergmann, who served in the US State Department for a time, said: “There is growing discomfort with Erdogan. “Those who are concerned about his ties to Putin are backing down democratically and violating sanctions,” he commented. “They tried to be nice,” Bergmann said. “The question to ask here is is it time to get tougher?”