Ο Στόλντενμπεργκ που δε βλέπει παραβιάσεις αλλά "διαφωνίες μεταξύ μελών" στην Ανατολική Μεσόγειο, ζητά θετικές προσεγγίσεις. Επίσης πιστεύεις ότι οι σύμμαχοι αντιλαμβάνονται το ότι η Τουρκία είναι μια σημαντική σύμμαχος η οποία παράλληλα φιλοξενεί 4 εκ πρόσφυγες και πως έχει υποφέρει πολλά από την τρμοκρατία. Πρέπει να καταλάβουμε, υποστηρίζει ο Στόλντενμπεργκ, την σπουδαιότητα της Τουρκίας για το ΝΑΤΟ.
Piers Cazalet (NATO Deputy Spokesperson): Now we have a question from Ansgar Haase from the German news agency DPA. For both Secretary General and the Prime Minister again: the EU will today decide on possible restrictive measures against Turkish individuals and companies responsible for drilling in the contested waters in the Mediterranean. Do you think sanctions are the right way to address problems that the EU has with a NATO country? And could these sanctions make cooperation between NATO and the EU more complicated?
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: The situation in the Mediterranean is difficult and allies have expressed their concerns. We also addressed the issue at the Foreign Ministerial meeting of NATO last week. And NATO is a platform where also we can discuss in an open way, when there are differences, disagreements between allies, as we see, for instance, in the eastern Mediterranean. At the same time, I think we all have to look for positive approaches, ways to address the differences and here at NATO, we have established a de-confliction mechanism between Greece and Turkey to reduce the risks, for instance, and accidents between two NATO allies when we see more military presence in the eastern med. And I welcome the fact that both Greece and Turkey have taken part in this de-confliction mechanism and also agreed to cancel some military exercises. I am working on how we can strengthen and expand this de-confliction mechanism because we need to do whatever we can to prevent any instances and accidents between two NATO allies. I also believe that through these technical talks, military technical talks at NATO on de-confliction, we can also help to pave the way for negotiations, political negotiations, addressing the underlying main issues, the main dispute. Of course, allies have expressed their concerns. At the same time, I think also allies realize that Turkey is an important ally, because they border Iraq and Syria. And they have been key in fighting ISIS, liberating the territory of ISIS controlled in Iraq and Syria.
And they, Turkey, is also the NATO ally that hosts the most known, the highest number, of refugees around 4 million and also Turkey is the ally which has suffered the most terrorist attacks. So there are differences there are disagreements, we need to address them. At the same time, we need to make sure that we realize the importance of Turkey as part of NATO and also as part of the Western family.