The outgoing Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, visited Turkey on Friday to garner support from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his candidacy for the position of NATO secretary general. The current NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg, is nearing the end of his term, which has been extended multiple times due to the challenges faced by the alliance, particularly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
During his visit, Rutte emphasized the importance of Turkey's leadership within NATO, describing Ankara as a significant player in the region with geopolitical influence. However, Turkey and Hungary had previously expressed reservations about Rutte's candidacy.
