Ukraine’s war: Turkey issues a list demanding that Sweden join NATO
Turkey has issued an official list demanding that Sweden join NATO, as President Erdogan considers Europe’s security as a solution to the war with the Kurds.
Ankara wants “concrete assurances” that Sweden will cut political ties, stop sending money to and refuse to deliver weapons to groups with links to the PKK – which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the EU and the United States.
President Erdogan also wants Stockholm to lift an arms embargo against Turkey that was introduced when the country attacked Kurdish groups in northern Syria in 2019, at the invitation of then-President Donald Trump.
The demands put Turkey on a new collision course with its NATO allies, which threatens to undermine European security and unity ahead of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
President Erdogan’s regime has issued a list of five demands over which it wants “concrete assurances” before allowing Sweden to join NATO
The demands (pictured above) include cutting political ties with Kurdish groups, stopping aid and arms shipments to Syria and lifting an arms embargo
Finland and Sweden will both send diplomatic missions to the Turkish capital tomorrow in an attempt to win Erdogan around, Finland said Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto today.
Erdogan has emerged as the only opponent of Finland and Sweden – already “partner nations” to NATO – becoming full members of the alliance, strengthening its ranks with up to one million soldiers while benefiting from the protection of its mutual defense pledge.
Until now, he has only said that their support for “terrorist groups” means that he “can not be for” them to join, but on Tuesday he explained in detail his opposition to Sweden’s bid.
A memo circulated by the government’s press department presented five demands from Stockholm, mainly related to its contacts with the PKK, and said that they expect “principled steps and concrete assurances” before they will release their opposition.
Sweden, like Turkey, designates the Kurdish PKK as a terrorist group and has done so since the 1980s, so does not directly support them.
But it does support Kurdish groups operating in northern Syria, which led a US-backed coalition fighting ISIS in the Syrian civil war.
Turkey sees these groups as terrorist extensions of the PKK and has fought against them in recent years.
Ankara pointed out aid payments totaling hundreds of millions of dollars that Sweden will make to Syria’s Democratic Council until 2023 and demanded that they be stopped.
Sweden is also accused of sending anti-tank weapons and drones to the region, and also wants such transports to be stopped.
Sweden and Finland hope to join NATO soon to provide extra protection against Russian aggression (pictured, Swedish Prime Minister and President of Finland visit Joe Biden at the White House last week)
Another requirement is that Sweden – whose parliament contains six members of parliament of Kurdish origin – should cut political ties with Kurdish groups and deport PKK members within the country who are considered criminals back to Turkey.
It is unlikely that Stockholm – which has received around 100,000 Kurdish refugees in recent years – will agree to the demands.
But all NATO decisions must be made by full consensus, which means that Erdogan’s opposition could be doomed if he cannot be won.
Sweden and Finland have decided to break decades-old neutrality agreements by joining NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Since at least the end of World War II, both nations have relied on Russia’s commitments not to attack for their security – in exchange for not allowing their territory to be used to attack Russia.
However, Putin tore up similar agreements with Kyiv when he attacked Ukraine, which has forced the Scandinavian countries to a radical consideration.
If Erdogan’s objections can be overcome, Sweden and Finland should be able to join the alliance quickly, as all other members have signaled their approval and intention to speed up the process.
This will mean that the alliance will have up to 1 million new soldiers, if Finnish reserves are included in the total.
Erdogan published his list of demands just a day after announcing that Turkey will renew its attacks on Kurdish regions in northern Syria (file photo)
It will also make Europe’s largest artillery collection available to NATO, along with dozens of state-of-the-art fighter jets, fast attack boats and five of the quietest and deadliest submarines on the planet.
And, crucially, all these reinforcements will be placed close to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which have long been NATO’s weakest point and among the most likely members to be attacked.
Erdogan’s opposition to Finland and Sweden’s membership has erred in the alliance, as he had not opposed the move in the preliminary talks.
It is widely believed that Erdogan is pushing the Alliance for concessions – even though he insists that opposition is a matter of principle and that he can not be won.
Another reason may be his close ties with Russia, which is cooperating in a number of important infrastructure projects in Turkey, including a new nuclear power plant and is an important arms supplier.
Ankara has so far pursued an alliance-free policy in the Ukraine conflict, which prevents Russian warships from reinforcing the Black Sea through the Bosphorus, but has also welcomed sanctioned oligarchs and their yachts.
Turkey also threatened a new invasion of northern Syria on Monday, in renewed efforts to create a 200-mile-deep “safe zone” along its southern border to which millions of refugees could be sent.
To do so would mean taking parts of territory from Kurdish groups, so forcing Sweden to refrain from its support can be seen as a way of trying to weaken them before the fighting begins.
Erdogan did not provide further details but said the operation would begin after Turkey’s military, intelligence and security forces completed their preparations.