‘Claims of 'Turkish blackmail' unacceptable': Sources

ANKARA

Turkey hit back Monday at claims of “blackmail” over a NATO plan for the Baltics and Poland, saying such allegations are out of the question.

“No one can question our contributions to NATO,” said Turkish security sources, underlining Turkey’s importance to the alliance on the eve of a NATO leaders’ summit in London due to start Tuesday.

Turkey, a member of the alliance for nearly 70 years, is at the very center of NATO with its contributions to the alliance, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Separately, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry held a press briefing Monday on Turkey's role in NATO and said that NATO is an important political-military organization in which Turkey has full powers of political check.

“Turkey has fulfilled its responsibility to defend the common values it shares with other allies,” the ministry said.

The ministry added that NATO is still a reliable, deterrent and a sustainable alliance for Turkey.