Turkey said Sweden and Finland had made “progress” for the Nordic countries to join NATO, according to a joint statement after a meeting in Stockholm on Friday.
In a press release, the three countries “welcomed the intensification of cooperation (…) and the progress made by Finland and Sweden in respecting the memorandum” signed on the sidelines of the Madrid summit in June.
“Sweden has largely respected the trilateral memorandum and is moving towards NATO,” Swedish accession negotiating chief Oscar Stenström tweeted after the meeting announced earlier this month by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Years of military misalignment
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden submitted a joint offer to join the Atlantic Alliance in May, abandoning decades of military nonalignment. This, which must be unanimously accepted by all 30 NATO member states, has been ratified by all except Turkey and Hungary.
Ankara in particular accused the two countries, first and foremost Sweden, of serving as a refuge for militants close to the PKK but also for the People’s Protection Units (YPG) active in Syria, which Turkey considers terrorists.
On a visit to Ankara in early November, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson had pledged to respond to concerns expressed by Turkey in its fight against terrorism.
In mid-November, the Swedish Parliament approved a change to the constitution allowing Sweden to toughen its fight against terrorism, which will take effect in January.
Source: BFM TV
