Turkey confirms opposition to NATO membership for Sweden, Finland | NATO Review
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says delegations from the two countries hosting NATO “should not care” to come to Ankara for discussions.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reaffirmed Turkey’s opposition to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, and postpones a proposal by the Nordic countries to send delegations to Ankara to address the issue.
“We will not say ‘yes’ to them [countries] which imposes sanctions on Turkey for joining the security organization NATO, “Erdogan said at a press conference on Monday, referring to Sweden’s decision in 2019 to suspend arms sales to Turkey due to its military operation in neighboring Syria.
Turkey also accused the two bidding countries of hosting “terrorist” groups, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), blacklisted by Ankara, the EU and the United States.
“None of the countries have a clear stance on terrorist organizations,” Erdogan said. “How can we trust them?”
Sources from the Ministry of Justice told the state news agency Anadolu on Monday that Sweden and Finland have not responded positively to Turkey’s 33 extradition requests in the past five years.
Ankara called for individuals who are either accused of having links to the PKK and allied groups or of belonging to a movement accused of trying to overthrow Erdogan in 2016, the agency reported.
Turkey has reprimanded Stockholm in particular for showing what is described as leniency against the PKK, which has been waging an armed uprising against the Turkish state since 1984.
The Swedish Foreign Office said earlier on Monday that senior representatives of Sweden and Finland plan to travel to Turkey for talks to address Ankara’s objections.
Erdogan responded to the comments by saying: “Are they coming to persuade us? Excuse us, but they should not care. ” He added that NATO would become “a place where representatives of terrorist organizations are concentrated” if the two countries join.
Ankara’s approval will be necessary for Finland and Sweden to join NATO, as membership offers must be approved unanimously by the alliance’s 30 members.
Stefanie Babst, former Deputy Secretary General of NATO for Public Diplomacy and Analyst at the European Leadership Network, told Al Jazeera that “Turkey will eventually adapt to consensus and welcome Finland and Sweden as new members”.
“In the meantime, they will try to bargain in negotiations to get some returns,” she said.
Turkey may aim to procure military equipment from Washington to upgrade its outdated F-16 fleet and gain some Western support to alleviate its troubled economy. On the home front, the analyst said that the mention of the PKK was aimed at gaining support from Erdogan’s nationalist voters.
Ankara’s latest reprimand came after the Swedish government formally decided to apply for membership in NATO. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced this on Monday, a day after Finnish President Sauli Niinisto confirmed that Finland will also apply for membership.
“We are leaving an era behind us and entering a new one,” Andersson said at a press conference, adding that the application can be submitted on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday and will be synchronized with Finland.
Turkey surprised its NATO allies last week by saying they would not look favorably on their applications.
In addition to a meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Berlin on Sunday, Ankara adopted a more conciliatory tone and dropped its demands, saying they wanted the two countries to end support for groups such as the PKK and lift the ban on arms sales.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Sunday that Sweden and Finland could join NATO despite Turkey’s concerns. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also said he was convinced “that we will be able to address the concerns expressed by Turkey”.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is scheduled to meet with Blinken in Washington on Wednesday, where Ankara’s objections are expected to be high on the agenda.