German leader: Turkey an 'extremely valuable, important NATO partner'
The new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is counting on close cooperation with Turkey on defence issues, he said in Brussels on Friday.
He and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte are united by "the firm will to keep Turkey firmly bound to us as a major NATO member," Merz said during his inaugural visit to NATO's headquarters in Brussels, days after being sworn in as chancellor.
Turkey protects an area within NATO territory whose strategic importance cannot be overstated, Merz told a joint press conference with Rutte. "That is why Turkey is an extremely valuable and important NATO partner for us, and I will do everything in my power to maintain and further expand this partnership with Turkey within NATO," he said.
Merz also said that he intends to accept an invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the near future.
His statement comes as the German government weighs whether to approve the delivery of fighter jets to Turkey.
Turkey seeks to purchase 40 Eurofighter jets. As Germany is involved in the European joint project, the fighter jets cannot be exported without the German government's approval.
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