Turkey in no hurry to agree Rutte's bid for NATO chief: what it wants

Turkey wants assurances from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte before Ankara approves his bid to become the next head of NATO, reports UNN citing Bloomberg.

Turkey is keen to ensure that Rutte - or any other candidate - does not have a bias against alliance members in the European Union, and in particular that he does not succumb to pressure from EU member states Greece and Cyprus, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity when discussing the sensitive issue. The two countries remain at odds with Ankara over long-standing territorial conflicts.

Turkey also wants Rutte to allow Ankara to be included in NATO's partnership with the EU and to make sure there are no restrictions on defense exports between NATO allies, the publication said.

Turkey's leadership is in principle favorable to Rutte taking the place of outgoing Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, people familiar with the matter say, although it remains one of several countries that have yet to privately agree to his candidacy.

Bloomberg notes that the Dutch prime minister has emerged in recent weeks as the favorite to head the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with no country vetoing him.

In July, the Dutch government lifted restrictions on arms sales to Turkey, more than three years after it suspended them following Ankara's military incursion into northern Syria. The decision followed Turkey's agreement to support Sweden's bid for accession after months of negotiations.

According to the people, Turkey has yet to hand over its list of requests to Rutte. The Dutch leader and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have softened their relations and restored ties after tensions between the two countries escalated back in 2017.

Rutte's office declined to comment and a Turkish government spokesman declined to comment.

Stoltenberg's term expires in October and the decision to replace him must be made unanimously by all NATO allies, which currently number 31. 

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Despite widespread support from larger NATO countries, including France and Germany, NATO ambassadors have yet to formally sign off on Rutte's candidacy. Some countries on the alliance's eastern flank have been slow to act, seeking greater regional representation in senior organizational positions.

Although Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Kariņš expressed interest in the top job last year, their countries have not formally nominated them.