Turkey Officially Backs Dutch PM Rutte for NATO Chief on Monday

Apr 29, 2024, 11:58 AM

Turkey has officially expressed its support for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's candidacy for the position of NATO Secretary General, as stated by an Ankara official on Monday. This endorsement is seen as a significant step towards Rutte securing the top job at NATO. During his visit to Turkey, Rutte met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, although there was a notable moment where Erdogan avoided shaking hands with him. Ankara has outlined expectations for Rutte, should he become NATO chief, including the removal of restrictions imposed by allies on each other in the field of defense and a more effective oversight of commitments in the fight against terrorism. Turkish officials also expect Rutte to be sensitive to Turkish concerns regarding the fight against terrorism and to consider Turkish input in running NATO.