Türkiye to endorse Dutch PM Rutte as candidacy for NATO chief

Türkiye will support the candidacy of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for the post of NATO Secretary General, the state-run TRT broadcaster quoted anonymous Turkish officials as saying, according to Xinhua.

Türkiye has informed the other NATO members of its decision, according to the report.

The outgoing Dutch premier Rutte met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Friday for talks on his candidacy.

At the joint press conference with Erdogan, Rutte said that NATO's southern flank needs Türkiye and its leadership to leverage geopolitical influence in the region, including the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the Gaza crisis.

The incumbent NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who assumed office in 2014, will end his term on Oct. 1 this year after NATO allies unanimously extended his term four times.