Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler. Photo: politikyol.com

Speaking to reporters after a NATO meeting in Brussels, Minister Güler affirmed his support for the military bloc's "open door" policy. "We have shown our sensitivity in the fight against terrorism, in all its aspects. We have also stressed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must be dealt with without discrimination. We affirm our determination to fight all terrorist organizations, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda. We hope to receive support from all member states in this regard," Güler said.

The statement came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sweden needed to take steps to address its concerns before Ankara would accept Stockholm's NATO membership. Both Turkey and Sweden recently agreed to hold further discussions on Stockholm's accession to NATO in the near future.

VNA