LAST UPDATE: 14.23
Turkish officials will meet with Swedish and Finnish delegations in Ankara tomorrow, Wednesday, to discuss Stockholm and Helsinki applications for NATO membership, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said today.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has opposed Sweden and Finland joining NATO, had telephone conversations with the leaders of the two Nordic countries on Saturday and discussed his concerns.
Turkey says Sweden and Finland are offering shelter to people linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt.
Meanwhile, Finland and Sweden will attend next month’s NATO summit in Madrid, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Davos today.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland decided to join NATO, overturning the policy of years. However, Turkey surprised its NATO allies last week by raising objections to the two countries’ accession.
“We are sending delegations to visit Ankara, both Sweden and Finland. This will happen tomorrow so the dialogue continues,” Finnish Foreign Minister Peka Haavisto said today.
“We understand that Turkey has some of its own concerns about terrorism (…) We believe that these issues can be resolved. NATO “, continued the Finnish minister.
For her part, US Undersecretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks commented today that Washington is convinced that Finland and Sweden will be able to reduce Turkey’s objections.
“We are convinced that Finland and Sweden will be able to resolve these (concerns) directly with the Turks,” she said, speaking on behalf of her Norwegian counterpart from Oslo.
All 30 NATO member states must give their approval in order for a new member to join the Alliance.
It is noted that the Turkish President also spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, to whom he stated that Ankara will consider positively the requests of Sweden and Finland only if they seem clearly willing to cooperate in the fight against terrorism.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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