Turkey has blocked the start of accession negotiations with Finland and Sweden in NATO. On Wednesday, it was not possible in the NATO Council – as originally planned – to make the decision necessary to start the admission process, as the German Press Office learned from alliance circles. The two northern European countries had officially applied for NATO membership earlier this morning. Accession negotiations should have started immediately afterwards. However, Turkey raised security concerns at the meeting and made it clear that it cannot agree at this stage.
An alliance spokesman declined to comment on the talks in the NATO Council. He only emphasized that Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was determined to find a quick solution for Finland and Sweden. “Both countries are our closest partners and joining NATO would strengthen Euro-Atlantic security,” he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, has made it clear once again that he makes approval of Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO conditional on approaching his country on security issues. For Turkey, NATO enlargement goes hand in hand with respect for its sensitivities.
Erdogan: Countries support ‘terrorists’
Sweden and Finland wanted to continue to support “terrorist organizations”, but at the same time Erdogan criticized Turkey’s approval for NATO membership. “To say the least, that’s a contradiction.” Erdogan accused Sweden of refusing to extradite 30 “terrorists”. “NATO is a security association, a security organization. In this regard, we cannot say yes to making this security agency unsafe,” Erdogan said.
Erdogan describes supporters of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party PKK, also considered a terrorist organization in the US and Europe, as “terrorists”. Turkey also considers the Kurdish militia YPG in Syria a terrorist organization – for the US, on the other hand, the YPG in Syria is an ally.
Can Turkey be lured with arms deals?
Until recently, it was unclear how Turkey could be prevented from vetoing Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership. According to diplomats, in addition to statements by the two northerners about counter-terrorism, arms deals could also play a role. The government in Ankara wants to buy F-16 fighter jets in the US – but a possible deal was recently politically controversial in Washington.
The hope now is that talks by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in New York can stir the dispute. Cavusoglu wanted to meet his American colleague Antony Blinken there, among others. “Diplomacy continues,” a diplomat said in Brussels on Wednesday.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
