US Says Turkey Is long Standing, Valued Ally - UrduPoint

Turkey is a "strong and valued ally," the US top diplomat said on Tuesday, asserting that it is in the interest of NATO to have Turkey in the bloc.

" Turkey is a long standing and valued ally, and one that I believe we have a strong interest in keeping anchored to NATO. And I believe that's also in Turkey's interest as well," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Brussels.

His remarks came in an address with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the NATO foreign ministers meeting.

Blinken also said NATO has showed its effectiveness in dealing with some disagreement, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, "serving as a vehicle for deconfliction, for de-escalation, for finding a way forward." "I strongly believe that NATO has to be a platform where allies also sit down together,and then we address them, then we discuss them, and that's exactly what we try to do," he stated.