Turkey should remain a NATO member, Merkel says
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that Turkey should remain a NATO member despite being "a difficult partner" that became alienated within the alliance. "I say that Turkey should remain a NATO member and we should support that. It is of geostrategic significance for NATO that Turkey is in," Merkel said ahead of a NATO summit in London next week.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that Turkey should remain a NATO member, adding that it's important to keep Ankara in the alliance.
"I say that Turkey should remain a NATO member and we should support that. It is of geostrategic significance for NATO that Turkey is in," Merkel told lawmakers at the Bundestag on Nov. 27, while noting that differences should be addressed.
The chancellor said that Turkey had become alienated as a NATO member, while calling the country "a difficult partner."
Merkel’s remarks came ahead of the NATO summit in London on Dec. 3 and Dec. 4.
Turkey must be within EU: Former Spanish PM
Meanwhile, former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has said that Turkey must be within the European Union, adding that it would be "marvelous" for the stability, peace and cultural diversity.
"Turkey is a significant power and it has a high capacity for bringing the west and the east together," Zapatero told the 10th Bosphorus Summit in Istanbul on Nov. 27.
He said Turkish people experienced some disappointments but they should get closer to the EU.