China News Service, June 13 (Xinhua) According to a comprehensive report, on the 12th local time, NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg said during his visit to Finland that Turkey's security concerns over Finland and Sweden's application to join NATO are reasonable.
Data map: NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg.
Stoltenberg said Turkey's security concerns "are about terrorism, about arms exports".
Given Turkey's concerns, NATO does not think the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June will be the deadline for ratifying Finland and Sweden to join NATO.
Stoltenberg also said that Finland has long been one of NATO's closest partners.
NATO is still negotiating with Turkey to advance Finland and Sweden's applications for membership.
Previously, Sweden and Finland submitted application letters at the NATO headquarters on May 18 to formally apply to join NATO.
But this plan was immediately opposed by NATO member Turkey.
The Turkish side has repeatedly stressed that when the two countries seek to join NATO, they must stop supporting the PKK, etc., and lift restrictions on Turkey's export of defense equipment.