Outgoing Dutch prime minister visits Turkey's Erdogan in his bid for the NATO chief position
Time:2024-04-27 12:17:59 Source:businessViews(143)
ISTANBUL (AP) — The Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte was in Turkey on Friday, seeking support from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the Dutch official’s bid for the position of NATO secretary general.
Incumbent NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister who has been NATO’s top civilian official since 2014, is nearing the end of his term. His mandate had been extended several times as the alliance needed to keep a steady hand at the helm after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
NATO members Turkey and Hungary had earlier expressed reservations about Rutte’s candidacy. During his friday visit, Rutte spoke at a joint news conference with Erdogan.
The southern wing of NATO “needs Turkey and its leadership,” Rutte said, describing Ankara as a very influential actor in the region and a geopolitical power.
You may also like
- Shocking moment Las Vegas substitute teacher, 27, brawls with student 'who called him the n
- Federal money eyed for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota
- Maine governor vetoes bill to create a minimum wage for agricultural workers
- US health officials warn of counterfeit Botox injections
- Most drivers will pay $15 to enter busiest part of Manhattan starting June 30
- Pakistan's Karachi bans drones due to security threats
- Tennessee passes bill to allow armed teachers in public schools
- Russia voices dissatisfaction over Security Council inaction on Nord Stream sabotage
- Jayhawks sign Alabama's Rylan Griffen out of portal to address their 3