Turkey has rejected claims it is blackmailing Nato by blocking a military plan for the Baltics and Poland unless Turkey receives support for its effort to defeat Syrian Kurd forces on its borders.
The Turkish government made the claims ahead of what may prove to be a bruising meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and major European powers in Downing Street, The Guardian reports.
Turkey claimed it had full veto rights for any proposal within Nato.
“Nato is an institution where Turkey has full veto rights, politically and militarily, and there are procedures here,” Turkish government officials said. “There is no such thing as Turkey blackmailing – a statement like that is unacceptable.”
Erdoğan has blocked a defence plan for Poland and the Baltic states until Nato recognises that the Syrian Kurdish YPG are a terrorist threat that must be addressed.