North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NATO chief apologized to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Nov. 18 after a civilian Norwegian official depicted the Turkish leader as an "enemy collaborator" during a bloc exercise in Norway, according to a presidential source.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday rejected the NATO apology after his name appeared on an "enemy poster" at the alliance's drills in Norway.

"You have seen disrespectful behavior at the NATO drill yesterday. There are some mistakes that are done not by fools but only by base people," Erdogan said in a speech on television.

BELGRADE - Miroslav Lazanski, a military commentator for Belgrade's Politika daily, says he has not seen a single statement - not even one by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg - that Serbia must join NATO, but notes the security of Kosovo Serbs is the reason why Serbia needs to cooperate with the alliance.

BRUSSELS - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic requested at a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Wednesday that the military alliance's forces remain in Kosovo-Metohija.

BRUSSELS - A strong and prosperous Serbia means more security and stability in the Western Balkans, and cooperation with NATO ensures greater security to Serbia and its partners in the Western military alliance, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels Wednesday.

The incident during the NATO drill in Norway cannot be just evaded with an apology, Turkish main opposition party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said on Nov. 18. 

Serbia is too important a factor in the Balkans to be conducting a neutral foreign policy, says President of the Atlantic Council of Montenegro Savo Kentera.

Other participants in Friday's Belgrade NATO Week panel dubbed, "NATO and the Western Balkans," were of a similar opinion, Tanjug is reporting.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg apologized to Turkey on Nov. 17 over military exercises in Norway during which Turkey’s founding leader, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, were reportedly depicted as "enemies."

Turkey has withdrawn 40 of its troops from a NATO military drill in Norway after scandals regarding the country’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Serbia is too important a factor in the Balkans to be conducting a neutral foreign policy, says President of the Atlantic Council of Montenegro Savo Kentera.

Other participants in Friday's Belgrade NATO Week panel dubbed, "NATO and the Western Balkans," were of a similar opinion, Tanjug is reporting.