Erdogan hints that Finland can join NATO without Sweden – DW – 2023-01-30
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested that Ankara could approve Finland’s application for membership in NATO before making a decision on Sweden’s bid.
The NATO military alliance will hold a summit in July in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Hungary and Turkey are the only two countries in the alliance that have not ratified the accession of Sweden and Finland, which requires unanimity from all member states.
What did Erdogan say about Finland’s NATO bid?
Erdogan said in a pre-recorded video released on Sunday – in which he is seen addressing young people in the central-western Bilecek province – that Turkey could choose to approve Finland’s NATO membership and not Sweden.
“If necessary, we can give a different message about Finland,” Erdogan said. “Sweden will be shocked when we give the different message about Finland.”
“If you absolutely want to join NATO, you will return these terrorists to us,” Erdogan said, referring to Ankara’s demand that Sweden hand over Kurdish militants.
Earlier this week, Finland hinted that it could join the NATO military alliance separately from Sweden if no progress is made on Stockholm’s bid.
– We still have to evaluate the situation if it turns out that Sweden’s application will stand still for a long time to come, says Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.
In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland jointly applied to join NATO, ending their long-standing military non-alignment.
Tensions between Turkey and Sweden
Turkey has accused Stockholm of supporting Kurdish militants and groups it accuses of carrying out a failed coup attempt in 2016.
Ankara has also been outraged by far-right Danish-Swedish activist Rasmus Paludan, who set fire to a copy of the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm. After the far-right protest, Erdogan told Sweden not to count on Turkey’s support for Stockholm’s NATO bid.
Norway, Denmark and Sweden have issued a travel advisory urging citizens in Turkey to avoid large gatherings due to demonstrations against Paludan’s Koran burning. On Saturday, Turkey followed suit and issued a travel advisory for Europe, citing the risk of “Islamophobic, xenophobic and racist attacks”.
Earlier this month, Turkey summoned Sweden’s ambassador over a video that showed an image of Erdogan hanging from a rope at a protest in Stockholm.
sdi/fb (AP, AFP)