Finland, Sweden confirm commitments on joint NATO membership – DW – 2023-02-02
The prime ministers of Finland and Sweden said on Thursday that they remain committed to joining the NATO alliance at the same time, despite comments from Turkey that it could approve Finland joining without Sweden.
“I don’t like this atmosphere, the position where Sweden is portrayed as a kind of problem child in the classroom. I don’t think that’s the case,” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in response to Turkey’s continued opposition to Sweden joining. the alliance.
“Sweden also ticks all the boxes needed to become a member of NATO,” she added during a visit to Stockholm.
The two Nordic countries applied to join NATO in May 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, after years of neutrality during the Cold War. But Turkey has blocked the connection with various demands regarding Kurdish opposition figures residing in Sweden.
Why is Turkey blocking Swedish connection?
Ankara has demanded that Sweden extradite people it claims are members of the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – a group categorized as terrorist by both Turkey and the EU.
Sweden and Finland signed a memorandum with Turkey that set out their path to NATO membership, but Ankara has repeatedly criticized Stockholm for its perceived lack of cooperation.
The situation worsened on Wednesday when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted to a far-right activist burning the Koran in Stockholm.
“Sweden, don’t even bother! As long as you allow my holy book, the Koran, to be burned and torn, and you do it together with your security forces, we will not say ‘yes’ to your entry into NATO,” Erdogan said .
Finland’s prime minister clears up confusion
Erdogan has already hinted that Turkey could approve Finland’s membership without approving Sweden’s. An agreement must be unanimous among all NATO countries for another to join. So far, Hungary and Turkey are the only countries that have not yet given their approval.
Thursday’s comments from Prime Minister Marin come after Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto appeared to suggest that Finland was considering joining NATO before Sweden.
At the same time, a small majority of Finns appeared to be in favor of joining NATO even without Sweden, according to a survey reported by AFP.
However, the joint press conference confirmed Finland’s commitment to the trilateral agreement.
“We set out on this journey together and we are making the journey towards membership together,” said Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Thursday.
ab/jcg (Reuters, EFE, dpa, AFP)