NATO chief in Turkey as Russia-Ukraine war escalates
The NATO chief pays his inaugural visit to Turkey following the Turkish president's criticism of the Biden administration over its authorization of the use of longer-range missiles.
ANKARA — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday discussed the Russia-Ukraine war and other regional developments amid a new escalation between the two Black Sea countries.
During his first visit to the country as chief of the transatlantic alliance, Rutte also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yasar Guler.
The purpose of the meeting was "to discuss the growing challenges to our collective security — including the threat of terrorism, the war in Ukraine, and the crisis in the Middle East. In an increasingly unpredictable world, Turkiye makes invaluable contributions to NATO," Rutte wrote on X after his meeting with Erdogan.
The pair discussed a range of issues, including the latest developments in the Ukraine war as well as ways to increase defense cooperation between the NATO countries, according to a Turkish readout of the meeting.
