Turkey monetizes its support for Sweden and Finland, candidates to join NATO

The warming between Turkey and NATO will have been short-lived. Barely returned to favor with his allies against a backdrop of war in Ukraine, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sown unease by threatening to block the process of Sweden and Finland joining the Atlantic Alliance – breaking with their policy of neutrality, the two states have just submitted their candidature. “How can we trust them? », asked Mr. Erdogan, Monday, May 16, in Ankara. And to add: “None of these countries has a clear and open attitude towards terrorist organizations. (…) They bring terrorists into their parliament and let them speak. »

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers NATO: Swedish non-alignment put to the test by the war in Ukraine

As of Friday, Ankara had threatened to block the enlargement of NATO to these two Nordic countries, a process which requires the unanimity of the thirty members of the Alliance. A champion of bargaining, the Turkish government has since actively sought to monetize its support. Two requirements are formulated. Stockholm and Helsinki must stop defending the Kurdish militants who have taken refuge in their territories, because, from the Turkish point of view, they are affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), classified as a terrorist organization by the European Union and by the UNITED STATES. Ankara has been calling for the extradition of more than thirty suspected PKK militants living in Finland and Sweden for years.

Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman and foreign policy adviser to Mr. Erdogan, recalled on Sunday that the PKK was raising funds and recruiting in Europe, and that its presence was “strong, open and recognized”, especially in Sweden. “We must stop allowing the media, activities, organizations, individuals and other types of presence of the PKK to exist in these countries”he said.

Another demand from Ankara: that the bans on the sale of certain weapons to Turkey be lifted, measures adopted by Stockholm and Helsinki at the time of the Turkish military intervention against Kurdish forces in northern Syria in 2019. At a NATO meeting in Berlin on Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu said talks were progressing with Finland, but Sweden continued to show “provocative”.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers NATO wants an accelerated procedure for the accession of Sweden and Finland

To ease the unease, Swedish and Finnish diplomats plan to come to Turkey next week. “They come to convince us? No need for them to get tired”, warned Mr. Erdogan. He said he did not want NATO to repeat the same ” error “ than that made in 1952 by accepting the accession of Greece. According to him, this is what then allowed Athens “to take sides against Turkey” with the support of the Alliance.

You have 48.97% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.

source site-29