Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed that Turkey dropped its objection to a NATO plan to bolster the defense of Poland and Baltic states neighboring Russia but warned allies that it expects support in its fight against terrorism.
Erdogan made the comments to Turkish journalists in London on Thursday, a day after NATO members reaffirmed their commitment to collective defense at a summit meeting.
Turkey had threatened not to endorse the plan for Poland and the Baltic nations, after other NATO members criticized its military operation in Syria, launched to drive away Syrian Kurdish fighters away from its border. Turkey considers the Kurdish fighters as terrorists.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan step onto the stage to attend a ceremony event during a NATO leaders meeting at The Grove hotel and resort in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg rejected Wednesday French criticism that the military alliance is suffering from brain death, and insisted that the organization is adapting to modern challenges. (AP PhotoFrancisco Seco)
Erdogan said: "We said 'yes' to this business but you (NATO allies) should not leave us alone in the fight against terrorism."