Türkiye: Controversy over the issue of withdrawal from NATO

The deputy head of the Turkish Patriotic “Vatan” Party, Haitham Sanjak, announced that his country will withdraw from NATO within five to six months, considering that this decision is a result of the nature of the recent events taking place in the alliance, as he put it.

In his statements, which he made during an interview he conducted on a local Turkish media, which was reported by the Aydinlık newspaper, the Turkish politician criticized the nature of relations between his country and NATO.

Commenting on the vigil organized by his party under the title “Let’s get out of NATO… Events force us to take these measures… NATO is forcing us to take these measures because of their provocations”, Sanjak said.

The Turkish politician continued, “Finally, NATO is trying to set us up against Greece… Türkiye will withdraw from NATO within 5-6 months”.

The Turkish politician considered that “NATO is trying to drag us into a vortex in the Middle East… Finally, you can see the actions against the Quran in Sweden and the Netherlands… Exiting NATO has become an emergency and a necessity.

Sanjak noted that “The rate of those who say that the United States is the country that pursues the most hostile and destructive policies has risen to 80%… Also recently, the Turkish people have started to feel great sympathy towards Russia and Putin”.

He said, “People have seen the threats coming before the governments”.

In turn, the leader of the nationalist movement, Devlet Bahceli, said during a meeting of the parliamentary group that, after the incident of burning the Quran, Sweden should not join NATO.

Bahceli added, “Last Saturday in Sweden, obscurantists burned our great book in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, despite all warnings… Burning the Holy Quran is an assault on our religious and spiritual feelings”.

Devlet Bahceli continued, “If someone wants to discuss Türkiye’s membership in NATO, let him discuss it… We weren’t born in NATO, and thank God, we won’t die without NATO… The Quran isn’t just a piece of paper… Let the polytheists know this and put it in their heads, it’s the issue of burning the Quran has turned into an object of hatred”.

Meanwhile, the Ruling party in Türkiye, the Justice and Development party said Ankara isn’t thinking of leaving NATO.

Omar Celik, a spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development party, confirmed on Wednesday, that Ankara is not considering leaving NATO.