Turkey opposes move by Finland and Sweden to join NATO alliance Turkey complains that the two countries are reconciling with terrorism. New countries’ entry into the military alliance is possible only if all NATO members agree
Finland and Sweden, which have been neutral for years, officially applied for membership in NATO yesterday. The move comes in the wake of Russia’s military action in Ukraine. But Turkey opposes NATO development, accusing Sweden and Finland of aiding terrorist organizations. The main reason for the protest was Sweden’s refusal to extradite 30 people listed by Turkey as terrorists. Turkey has accused both countries of backing the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which launched a coup attempt in the country in 2016. President Tayyip Erdogan has made it clear that Swedish and Finnish delegations will not have to travel to Turkey to discuss the issue without handing over the terrorists.
Sweden has suspended arms supplies to Syria since 2019 over its military intervention in Syria. This is also the reason for Turkey’s hostility. Turkey also disagrees with the United States, which has imposed sanctions on the supply of F-35 fighter jets. It is estimated that Turkey will use the current situation to negotiate, as the development of NATO requires the support of all 30 member states. Turkey may give the green light to the membership of Sweden and Finland only if the requirements are partially accepted.
