The hope disappears for a quick NATO membership for Finland, Sweden │ GMA News Online
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Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Monday 21/6/2022 00:40 UTC + 9 | 706 words
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by Alma COHEN
Finland and Sweden discussed their confirmed NATO bids with Turkey in Brussels on Monday, but hopes are weakened that they will be able to resolve their dispute ahead of an alliance summit next week, experts say.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg would meet with representatives from the three countries to try to move forward with the Nordic nations’ membership applications, which have been blocked by Ankara.
“I think it is possible but it would be very difficult,” Paul Levin, director of the Institute for Turkish Studies at Stockholm University, told AFP, adding that it would require both parties to compromise.
NATO, Stockholm and Helsinki had expected the application process to proceed quickly. But Ankara’s objections captured them all, at a time when NATO is keen to show a united front against Russia.
Ankara has accused Finland and Sweden of providing a refuge for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), listed as a “terrorist” group by Turkey and its Western allies.
Ankara has also demanded that they lift their arms freezes against Turkey.
Each NATO membership agreement must be unanimously approved by the 30 members of the alliance, and fears are now growing that Turkey may delay the Nordic countries’ tenders indefinitely.
Kurdish problem
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin recently expressed fears that if the issues are not resolved ahead of the NATO summit in Madrid, “there is a risk that the situation will freeze”.
On Monday, Germany dampened hopes that an agreement would be reached so quickly.
“I think this is about managing expectations and placing this in its historical context,” said a senior German government source, stressing that a solution was still in sight.
“It would not be a disaster if we needed a few more weeks,” the source said. “The crucial thing is that, in our opinion, there are no insurmountable difficulties” between Sweden, Finland and Turkey.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde told the Swedish media in Luxembourg on Monday that “we should be prepared for this to take some time.”
Ankara’s anger has primarily been directed at Sweden.
“Sweden sees the PKK as a terrorist organization and has done so since 1984,” Levin said, adding that “it was probably the first country besides Turkey” to do so.
“So in that sense, Sweden does not really stand out” from other European countries.
However, Sweden has expressed support for the YPG, a US-backed Syrian Kurdish group, and its political arm, the Democratic Union Party (PYD).
Ankara sees the YPG, which fought against the Islamic State in Syria with Western support, as the PKK’s offshoot in Syria.
In an attempt to alleviate Ankara’s concerns, Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has emphasized that Sweden has tightened its anti-terrorism laws in recent years, with new, stricter legislation coming into force on 1 July.
Sweden has also said that its independent arms export agency would be prepared to review its policy once it has joined NATO.
Levin noted that one area where Sweden, which is home to about 100,000 Kurds, really stands out in Europe is that it “is generally more sympathetic to the broader Kurdish cause.”
“In that sense, maybe Turkey is right to focus on Sweden,” Levin said.
Sweden’s hands tied
The Swedish government is also being pressured on the home front, with its hands tied by an independent legislator with Kurdish roots.
Amineh Kakabaveh is a former left-wing member of Iranian-Kurdish origin and has been in parliament as independent since 2019.
In November, she gave the decisive vote to bring the Social Democrats to power – in exchange for an in-depth collaboration with the PYD.
Kakabaveh has threatened to vote against the government’s budget proposal this week if Sweden agrees to sell weapons to Turkey.
The Swedish government’s two sets of negotiations with Kakabaveh and Ankara “are very difficult to reconcile”, stated Levin.
If it is not resolved before then, Sweden’s parliamentary elections in September could end the stalemate with Ankara.
Kakabaveh is not expected to be re-elected to parliament, which would allow the government to negotiate more freely with Turkey.
“It really looks like the Swedish government is trying to move away from this agreement with Kakabaveh in order to have this discussion with Turkey,” Levin said.
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© Agence France-Presse