Turkey's NATO membership can't be questioned: Official

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

NATO has stated its strong position on Turkey's membership at the alliance, naming the country as "a valuable ally".    

After the failed coup attempt, Turkey's membership in NATO was one of the most questionable topics. Many made suppositions that Ankara would intend to separate its ways with the alliance, while other suggested weakening of NATO's interests in Turkey's membership in the military bloc. 

However, NATO dispersed such suppositions, calling them "speculative media reports."     

"Turkey's NATO membership is not in question after the attempted coup in the country," RIA Novosti reported with reference to the statement of the NATO official regarding media coverage and position of NATO.

Turkey, as a very strong and longstanding member of NATO, historically made significant contributions to all its allies. The country holds second largest army in the alliance after the U.S. Armed Forces, with an estimated strength of 675,000 military, civilian and paramilitary personnel.

"In light of the speculative media reports on the position of NATO about the failed coup in Turkey and Turkey's membership in NATO, let me indicate a clear position of the alliance that Turkey is a valuable ally, which makes a significant contribution to the joint efforts of NATO," said the NATO representative.

Turkey is fully involved in making consensus-based decisions in the alliance against the biggest security challenges of generation, he added.

"Turkey's membership in NATO cannot be questioned. Our alliance is committed to collective defense and based on the principles of democracy, individual freedom, human rights and the rule of law. NATO is counting on the continuation of Turkey's contribution to the alliance and in turn, Turkey can count on the solidarity and support of NATO...” the representative of the alliance emphasized.

Previously, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that Turkey will remain an important NATO ally despite the crackdown inside the country and its newest rapprochement with Russia.

“It is good to see the two nations moving closer together after the downing Russian warplane. However, I do not expect the two sides to grow so close that Russia can offer an alternative to NATO’s security partnership. Turkey is an important NATO partner,” Steinmeier added.

Turkey is viewed as an important North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally given its strategic geographic position between Europe and Asia, a bridge that has served as an entryway for refugees fleeing violence in Syria. The country hosts about 1,500 American military personnel and aircraft at Incirlik Air Base, a staging point for the fight against Islamic State in both Syria and Iraq.

On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them.

However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded.

Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20.