ANKARA
Lithuania recognizes Turkey’s security concerns, and trusts its ally on NATO’s Baltic defense plans, Lithuania’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.
“Re Baltic States’ defense plans: do we trust our Ally Turkey? Do we recognize their security interests? Yes we do,” said Linas Linkevicius on Twitter ahead of a two-day NATO summit in London.
“Process of NATO adjustment continues. Solidarity should prevail,” he added.
Reluctant to back NATO defense plans for Poland and the Baltics ahead of the summit, Turkey has taken issue with the alliance failing to recognize the threat it faces from the terrorist YPG/PKK along its southern border, in northern Syria.
“NATO must act in a way that will meet the concerns of all allies. What is wanted for the Baltics should be wanted for us too,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last week.
Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union — has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
