Finland and Sweden promise to join NATO together in a united front for Turkey
HELSINKI (Reuters) – Finland and Sweden will join NATO at the same time, the prime ministers said on Friday as they presented a united front to Turkey that has raised questions about both applications.
The Nordic neighbors asked to join the alliance in May in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but faced objections from Turkey, which accused the two of harboring groups it views as terrorists.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Friday that the Turkish president had told her that he had more questions for Sweden than for his own country. But he said he would not leave Sweden behind in the process.
“Of course, it is very important for us that Finland and Sweden join NATO hand in hand,” Marin told reporters at a joint press conference in Helsinki with his Swedish counterpart.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said as recently as October 6 that his country still opposes Sweden’s offer.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who took office last week, said: “So far we have taken every step hand in hand and none of us have other goals.”
He said he would meet Erdogan soon. “It is perfectly legal for Turkey to get confirmation that Sweden is doing what Sweden has committed to under the agreement,” he added.
The Swedish Aftonbladet quoted sources on Friday as saying that Turkey had invited Kristersson to a bilateral meeting in Ankara, probably on November 8.
Kristersson’s spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Anne Kauranen in Helsinki and Simon Johnson in Stockholm Editing by Anna Ringstrom and Andrew Heavens)