NATO’s defense plan for Poland & Baltics put into action after Ankara drops objections – officials

NATO has launched a defense plan known as Eagle Defender for Poland and the Baltic states, after Turkey dropped its objection, according to officials from Lithuania, Poland, and France. “Putting in place the political decision that was reached in London is a success for all of NATO,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis told reporters. Pawel Soloch, head of Poland’s National Security Bureau, also confirmed the deal.

The Foreign Ministry in Ankara declined to comment on Thursday. Details of the military alliance’s plan for Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have been classified. It was approved at a NATO summit in London in December.

Turkey would not allow NATO chiefs to put the plan into action unless they recognized the Kurdish YPG militia in northern Syria as “terrorists.”

“The Turks have dropped their objections,” Reuters quoted an official of the French armed forces ministry as saying on Wednesday. A NATO diplomat said the plans were now “finally agreed.” It was unclear if Turkey extracted any concessions from NATO.