Turkish FM Çavuşoğlu to attend NATO foreign ministers meeting

As tensions continue to rise between Russia and Turkey following the downing of a Russian jet that violated Turkish airspace last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will visit Brussels on Tuesday for the NATO foreign ministers (FM) meeting where he is expected to address the recent situation with Russia. Additionally, Minister Çavuşoğlu will reiterate the need for more cooperation to combat terrorism and emphasize the importance of intelligence sharing. While Turkey grapples with terror both domestically and internationally, the recent developments with Russia have begun to cause concern in the international community. NATO member countries are expected to express their full support for Turkey during the meeting.

The NATO foreign ministers meeting, which takes place twice a year, will be chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Stoltenberg will meet with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu prior to the NATO meeting and then hold a joint press conference with Davutoğlu on Monday. After the NATO FM meeting, leaders will address other significant issues, such as how NATO can do even more to fight terrorism and DAESH. Another important issue is the growing refugee crisis in Europe. The EU recently announced a draft action plan to tackle the refugee crisis; NATO leaders will also discuss formulating a comprehensive response to the situation.

All final agreements and decisions will be announced on the second day of the meeting, Wednesday. Minister Çavuşoğlu will attend the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe meeting on Thursday in Belgrade. Foreign Ministry sources said Çavuşoğlu would meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Belgrade if time permits.