More and more governments are offering Turkey talks about Finland and Sweden joining NATO. “We are neighbors and will keep the channels of communication open,” said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is unlikely to back down. He didn’t say until the beginning of the week that Mitsotakis no longer existed for him.
The Greek prime minister recently warned that numerous illegal flights by Turkish fighter jets over inhabited Greek islands could weaken NATO’s southeast flank. “The last thing we need in NATO right now is a new source of political instability,” he told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. He was referring to the war in Ukraine.
dispute over armament
Greece and Turkey both belong to the Western military alliance, but have some political problems. Mitsotakis said he didn’t want to break the thread of talks with the neighbor, although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently officially broke off contact. “I will raise the issue (overflights) until Turkey changes its position,” he said. Another point of contention is the armament. Mitsotakis has advised Congress not to sell weapons to the Eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish government is currently planning to purchase American fighter jets.
NATO accession: “The question can be solved”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Norwegian colleague, Anniken Huitfeldt, recently expressed their optimism about joining NATO. The question can be resolved. “We all have legitimate security interests. But it is equally clear to everyone in NATO that this is an important moment in history and that we have a shared responsibility,” Baerbock said Wednesday after the CBSS. She thinks Turkey will soon give up its reservations about joining NATO.
Finland and Sweden sent delegations to Turkey on Wednesday. “Of course we don’t send money to terrorist organizations and we don’t send weapons,” Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Wednesday. The Turkish government had made these allegations and put forward the reason why it blocked NATO accession negotiations.
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.
