Turkey’s North Atlantic Treaty Organisation membership ‘not in question’

“They have failed the test following the coup attempt”, foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency.

The statement comes the day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a highly-symbolic visit to Russian Federation to mend fences with Moscow, sparking speculation that Ankara’s close ties with the West could be at risk.

Turkey’s foreign minister says Turkish foreign ministry, military and intelligence officials will travel to Russian Federation for discussions on finding a solution to the Syria conflict.

Early last month, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation leaders including Erdogan had endorsed the alliance’s largest military revamp since the end of the Cold War to counter a more assertive Russian Federation in the fallout from the Ukraine crisis. The meeting would be followed by talks by higher level officials, he said, adding that the two countries had a mutual understanding on a number of issues. “We may think differently on how to implement the ceasefire”, he said. We don’t believe it is appropriate that the moderate opposition is attacked.

There have been reports in Turkish media of possible North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and USA intelligence involvement in the failed June 15 coup. Gulen denies any involvement.

Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters in Ankara it was normal for Turkey to seek “other options” on defence cooperation as it had not received the expected support from its western friends and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies following the failed coup.

The dispute has strained U.S.

Turkish officials also say rapprochement with Russian Federation does not indicate a foreign policy shift but is a necessity for stability both in the region and the world. “We worked very hard to have good relations with Europe for 15 years”, Cavusoglu said, as he blasted the European Union for having “encouraged the putschists”.

Turkish officials have also fumed at expressions of concern from European officials over Turkey’s sweeping crackdown on the Gulen movement, and accused the West of failing to show support for a democratically elected government.