Turkey refuses to ratify Sweden and Finland’s applications for NATO membership “until the promises” of both countries “are fulfilled,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.
“As long as the promises made to our country are not fulfilled, we will maintain our original position,” Erdogan, who has been threatening to block the accession of the two Nordic states to the Atlantic Alliance since mid-May, told the Turkish parliament. .
“We are closely monitoring the fulfillment of the promises made by Sweden and Finland and the final decision, of course, rests with our grand parliament,” the head of state added.
Erdogan, who insisted on the importance of the “fight against terrorism”, accuses the two countries of protecting Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers terrorists.
To date, 28 member states – out of a total of 30 – of the Atlantic Alliance have ratified the accession of Sweden and Finland. Only Hungary and Turkey have yet to give their final approval.
In a major gesture of concession to Turkey to get the green light from Ankara to join NATO, Sweden announced Friday that it has reauthorized the export of military equipment to that country.
The lifting of these restrictions was one of the conditions Ankara had set.
At the NATO summit held in Madrid at the end of June, Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed a memorandum opening the accession of the two Nordic countries to NATO.
However, the Turkish president immediately threatened a veto if certain conditions were not met.
A Swedish delegation will visit Turkey on Wednesday and Thursday to continue negotiations.
A tripartite meeting was held in Finland at the end of August.
Source: DN
