Sweden and Finland sought NATO membership, Turkey messed up
Sweden and Finland stepped up their efforts to join NATO on Tuesday, while Turkey insisted it would not allow Kurdish militants from the two Nordic countries to join NATO because of their alleged support. Turkish President Rajab…
International Desk: Sweden and Finland stepped up their efforts to join NATO on Tuesday, while Turkey insisted it would not allow Kurdish militants from the two Nordic countries to join NATO because of their alleged support. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan objected to Sweden and Finland’s request to join NATO, accusing the two countries of not taking a “clear” stand on Kurdish militants and other groups that Turkey considers terrorists.
Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto said during a visit to Sweden’s capital Stockholm, “Turkey’s statements are changing very rapidly and have become a bit strict in the past. But I am confident that we will find a solution to the situation through positive dialogue.” Finland’s parliament has strongly supported the country’s government’s proposal to join NATO. On Tuesday, 188 members voted for membership of the 30-member Western military organization as against 8 in the 200-member house.
Finland can now sign a formal application and submit it along with Sweden to NATO headquarters in the coming days. Sweden’s government also announced the idea of joining NATO on Monday. But Erdoan questioned the rapid progress of joining NATO, first on Friday and once again on Monday. For a country to join this military organization of Western countries, consensus among all 30 member countries is necessary.
Turkey’s leader has accused the Nordic countries of providing safe havens to “terrorists” and imposing sanctions on Turkey. He was referring to the suspension of Swedish and Finnish arms exports in 2019 after Turkey sent troops to Syria to fight Kurdish fighters. Erdoan also rejected Sweden’s plan to send a team of diplomats to Turkey to discuss the issue.
