29.06.2026 19:51
Deputy Head of the Greek Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Dimitris Keridis, stating that they believe Turkey should be included in the 'Schengen Area', said, "While some of your European partners are eager for trade agreements, they prefer to keep you out of Schengen. We are sincere in extending our hand of friendship."
Dimitris Keridis, Deputy Head of the Greek Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), Dagur Eggertsson, Head of the NATO PA Icelandic Delegation, Dusko Stjepovic, Head of the NATO PA Montenegrin Delegation, and Yehor Cherniev, Head of the NATO PA Ukrainian Delegation, spoke at the NATO Parliamentary Summit hosted by Türkiye in Istanbul.
“WE BELIEVE TÜRKİYE SHOULD BE ADMITTED TO THE SCHENGEN AREA” Keridis described Istanbul as “magnificent and majestic,” saying, “There are many cities in the world, but Istanbul is unique.”
Pointing out that the Greek Consulate General issues approximately 2,000 Schengen visas to Turkish citizens daily, Keridis stated that this shows how intertwined the peoples of the two countries are and that they harbor positive feelings toward each other.
Keridis expressed that they expect more than 2 million Turkish citizens to visit Greece this year as well.
Stating that they believe Türkiye “should be admitted to the Schengen Area,” Keridis said, “While some of your European partners are eager regarding trade agreements, they prefer to keep you out of Schengen. We, on the other hand, are sincere in extending our hand of friendship.”
EMPHASIS ON TRUST AND SHARED VALUES NATO PA Icelandic Delegation Head Eggertsson said, “Being in Istanbul, which has connected cultures, continents, and civilizations for centuries, is a special privilege. This city reminds us that security is never built in isolation, but through dialogue, cooperation, and shared responsibility.”
Noting that they are gathering at a time when the international order is under unprecedented pressure, Eggertsson highlighted the increasing threats to international law, attempts to weaken democratic institutions, and disinformation activities aimed at undermining trust in societies.
Eggertsson stated that NATO “exists not only to defend territories, but to preserve the principles that make peace possible,” and noted the following:
“Military capacity is important, deterrence is important, and it lies at the heart of NATO, but military power alone cannot sustain an alliance. The real foundation rests on trust: trust in each other, trust in our democratic institutions, and trust that the shared values we defend are worth protecting.”
NATO’S IMPORTANCE IS GREATER THAN EVER NATO PA Montenegrin Delegation Head Stjepovic drew attention to the ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and attempts to weaken democratic institutions, clearly showing that security can no longer be evaluated solely from the perspective of states, and therefore NATO’s significance is greater than ever.
Stjepovic expressed strong support for further strengthening NATO’s defense capacity and increasing defense investments, saying, “This issue is not just about statistics or a certain percentage of gross domestic product. It is an indicator of how ready we are to preserve peace, stability, and our common way of life.”
Stjepovic recalled that Montenegro aims to become the next member of the European Union in 2028, expressing their belief that this will allow them to contribute more to the stability of Europe and the Mediterranean region.
Dimitris Keridis “WE MUST NOT GIVE RUSSIA A CHANCE TO RECOVER” NATO PA Ukrainian Delegation Head Cherniev noted that the joint efforts over the years are beginning to yield results, thanked on behalf of the Ukrainian people, and stated that they are starting to seize the initiative in the war with Russia.
Arguing that Russia has suffered “military, economic, humanitarian, and moral losses,” Cherniev said, “We must not give it a chance to recover and rebuild its forces. Ultimately, we must put pressure on it and force it to peace, because the only country that does not want peace is Russia.”
Cherniev stated, “We are grateful to Türkiye for organizing the negotiations held in Istanbul in 2022. Unfortunately, the results of these talks were not successful, because the peace terms were not fair and acceptable for Ukraine; we could have lost our sovereignty.”
Cherniev expressed that in the post-war period, Ukraine’s value for NATO will increase even further, and stated that Europe’s security will remain incomplete without Ukraine’s full membership in NATO.