Turkey says it backs outgoing Dutch prime minister Rutte's candidacy for NATO chief
A senior Turkish official says Ankara will back the outgoing Dutch prime minister's candidacy for the position of NATO secretary general
By SUZAN FRASER
Published - Apr 29, 2024, 07:45 AM ET
Last Updated - May 27, 2024, 01:05 AM EDT
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey has told its NATO allies that Ankara will back the Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s candidacy for the military alliance’s secretary general position, a senior Turkish official said Monday.
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 sought 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, and Erdogan made no commitments during a joint news conference with Rutte on Friday.
