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Erdogan drops block on NATO defense plan as trust issues linger

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dropped his threat to block a defense plan for the Baltic states and Poland, though disagreements persist among NATO allies.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a family photo at the NATO leaders summit in Watford, Britain December 4, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman - RC2BOD97VB0U
US President Donald Trump and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo at the NATO leaders summit in Watford, UK, Dec. 4, 2019. — REUTERS/Yves Herman

As a NATO summit defined by discord, name-calling and accusations came to a close Wednesday, an unexpected show of unity took shape as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reversed his stance on a previous threat to block resolutions during the meeting.

Ahead of the two-day London gathering, the Turkish leader said he would hold up NATO defense plans for Baltic states and Poland if allies did not designate the US-backed People’s Protection Units in Syria as a terror organization.

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