Turkey has 'legitimate concerns' over terrorism: Jens Stoltenberg on Finland, Sweden's NATO bid

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that Turkey has “legitimate concerns” over terrorism and or issues that need to be taken seriously.

Turkey has accused Finland and Sweden of supporting Kurdish militants and says it will t back two rdic nations joining NATO until y change ir policies.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Stoltenberg stressed that “ or NATO ally has suffered more terrorist attacks than Turkey” and pointed to its strategic geographic location with neighbors like Iraq and Syria.

“se are legitimate concerns. This is about terrorism, it's about weapons exports,” Stoltenberg said. “We have to address security concerns of all allies, including Turkish concerns about terrorist group PKK.” He spoke at Finland's presidential summer residence Kultaranta in western Finland.

After decades of military n-alignment, Russia's war in Ukraine pushed Finland and Sweden to apply to join NATO in May. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, accuses rdic nations of supporting Kurdish militants deemed by Turkey to be terrorists and has vetoed ir entry into 30-member alliance.

“When a vital key ally as Turkey raises concerns on terrorism n of course we have to sit down and take m seriously. And that's exactly what we do,” Stoltenberg said.

demands from Ankara to Helsinki and Stockholm also include lifting restrictions on arms exports to Turkey and extraditing members of certain Kurdish organizations that are opposed to Erdogan's government.

In past weeks, NATO's chief has been trying to resolve dispute but he did t disclose Sunday wher any progress has been made.

He was to attend an annual discussion panel in Kultaranta later Sunday toger with Finnish and rdic politicians, foreign and security policy experts and military representatives.

Stoltenberg will visit Sweden on Monday for talks with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.