NATO chief to visit Turkey for 1st time since coup attempt

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will make his first visit to Turkey since a violent coup attempt rocked the key alliance member in July.

NATO said in a statement Tuesday that Stoltenberg will visit Ankara, the Turkish capital, on Thursday and Friday.

It said he will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Defense Minister Fikri Isik and other high-level officials.

Over 270 people died in the July 15 attempted putsch and developments since have strained relations between Turkey and many of its NATO allies. Turkish authorities have accused the West of being more concerned about the rights of the plotters and of people who supported them than the attempt to overthrow the lawfully elected government of a NATO member by force.

 

 

 

AP