US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, criticized Turkey’s provocative activities in Libya, Syria, Azerbaijan, and the eastern Mediterranean.
During a virtual meeting of NATO members’ foreign ministers, Pompeo accused Turkey of undermining the alliance’s harmony and failing to adhere to its principles.
Pompeo blamed Ankara for stoking tensions with fellow allies in the Mediterranean and of helping the Kremlin by purchasing a Russian-made anti-aircraft system.
Several allies supported Pompeo by speaking out against Turkey, including French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. He denounced Ankara’s behaviour, and said cohesion within NATO would be impossible to achieve if Turkey mimicked Russia’s aggressive interventionism.
A renewed call by Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu for NATO to take a role in Libya’s conflict was rejected by other allies. They accused Turkey of exacerbating the conflict by sending weapons and mercenaries to support the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).