Turkey says it did not fully approve NATO's Baltic defense plan

Duvar English/Reuters

Turkey will block final publication of a NATO defense plan for the Baltics and Poland until allies agree to designate the People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria a terrorist group, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Dec. 6.

Two days after a NATO summit at which alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg announced that Turkey had withdrawn its objection, allowing plans to move forward, Çavuşoğlu said Ankara agreed to the next step in the process but had not given final approval.

Ankara will block the plan until a defense proposal for Turkey - which Ankara says must include an endorsement of Turkey's view of the YPG by the alliance - is approved as well, he told reporters on a visit to Rome.

"That plan will not be published until our plan is published too," Çavuşoğlu said, describing Ankara's move at the summit as a gesture to its allies. "It would not be fair for some countries to not approve our plan while at the same time backing a plan for others," he said.

"Of course, we are not against them [Baltic countries], but NATO's mission is to protect all allies," he said, criticizing countries approving the Baltics plan while obstructing Turkey's.

"Both plans are waiting at the same level ... and if they are going to be published, it will be together. But, if there is a problem, then they will both be blocked. It is out of the question for there to be a compromise here."

Before heading to London for the NATO summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Dec. 3 that Turkey would oppose the defense plans for Poland and the Baltic states, unless NATO recognized the YPG in Syria as terrorists. On Dec. 4, Stoltenberg said that Turkey had dropped its block. A day later, Erdoğan told reporters in London that Turkey approved the plan upon the request of the French, German, Polish leaders and Stoltenberg, but that he told NATO allies they must not abandon Turkey in its fight against terror.

“You know, yesterday [on Dec. 4], we took a step regarding Poland and the Baltic countries. Stoltenberg, [French President Emmanuel] Macron, [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel, Polish President had all called us previously and asked us for support on this. After talks with my colleagues, we said ‘yes’ to this, but told them ‘You must not abandon us in the fight against terror,’” Erdoğan told reporters, referring to Turkey's fight against the YPG.

Ankara considers the YPG as a terrorist organization due to it being the Syrian arm of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

On Oct. 9, Turkey launched an offensive into northeastern Syria dubbed "Operation Peace Spring", aiming to clear the region of the YPG.

Stoltenberg told reporters after the summit that allies had not discussed how to designate the YPG during their talks.

Meanwhile, Ömer Çelik, the spokesperson for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said on Dec. 6 NATO members were aware of Turkey’s importance in the military alliance. In a press conference, Çelik said: "Everybody in the NATO summit emphasized Turkey’s power and its indispensability for NATO."

Turkish Defense Minister on Dec. 6 also touched upon Turkey's role in NATO, saying the country fulfills its obligations within the alliance through both financial and military contributions.

Hulusi Akar said Turkey, as a member country, continues to fulfill its obligations within NATO in "the most meaningful and efficient" way.