Mark Rutte, the outgoing PM of the Netherlands, was seeking support in his bid for the position of NATO secretary general from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday.

Turkey has told its NATO allies that Ankara will back the Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s candidacy for the military alliance’s secretary general position, a senior Turkish official said Monday.

Turkey will become the 29th member of NATO to support Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next secretary-general of the military alliance, source close to NATO confirmed to both NOS and ANP. Rutte visited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday to shore up support for his bid to take over for Jens Stoltenberg when he steps down later this year.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is likely to throw his weight behind Mark Rutte to become the next NATO chief within weeks after the Dutch prime minister visits Istanbul Friday.Most Read from BloombergMalaysia in Talks With Tycoons on Casino to Revive $100 Billion Forest CityBiden’s Gains Against Trump Vanish on Deep Economic Pessimism,

Turkey has told its NATO allies that Ankara will back the Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s candidacy for the military alliance’s secretary general position, AP reported on Monday, citing a senior Turkish official.

Turkey, along with fellow NATO member states Hungary, Slovakia and Romania - whose President Klaud Iohannis is standing against Rutte - has not publicly voiced its support for Rut