NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has acknowledged the legitimacy of the security concerns raised by Turkey over its opposition to Finland and Sweden joining the regional alliance. He made the comment during a visit to Finland. 

Earlier, Turkey accused the two countries of supporting and harboring Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers terrorist threats. Stoltenberg urged Finland, Sweden and NATO allies to address the issue. He added that the NATO summit in Madrid later this month is not a deadline for the membership bids of the two Nordic countries.