ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested on Wednesday that his country could soon ratify Finland’s application to join NATO, allowing the possibility of the country joining a separate military alliance from Sweden. .
Alarmed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year earlier, Finland and Sweden abandoned decades of non-alignment and applied to join the alliance. All 30 NATO members have approved their applications, and 28 have ratified their accession. Only Turkey and Hungary have failed to do so.
The Turkish government has accused Sweden of being too soft on groups it sees as terrorist organizations and existential threats, including Kurdish groups. However, Ankara has said it has fewer problems with Finland’s membership.
Asked by journalists whether Turkey can confirm Finland’s membership after the Finnish President’s visit sauli ninisto later in the week, Erdogan replied: “God willing, if it is for the best.”
“Whatever the process, the process will work. We will do our work. We will keep our promise. We will meet the President on Friday and fulfill the promise we made,” he said.
Speaking during a visit to Berlin on Wednesday, the Swedish prime minister ulf christensen It is noteworthy that in recent weeks there have been increasing indications that Turkey is ready to ratify Finland’s membership before Sweden.
He said that we are prepared for that situation also.
“We do not hide at all that we like to confirm together to take the whole journey in hand,” Christerson Said. But “I have also always expressed the fact that every … country in NATO makes its own ratification decisions and we have the utmost respect for that.”
The Swedish leader said that “very good progress has been made” and that “we believe … that we are ready for ratification, but we respect that only Turkey can make Turkish decisions.”
“Of course, we expect a fast ratification process after the Turkish election,” he said. Erdogan is seeking a third consecutive term in office in the May 14 election.
Turkish authorities have been angered by a series of separate demonstrations in Sweden, including a protest against an anti-Islam activist who burned a Quran outside the Turkish embassy.
Niinisto is scheduled to visit Turkey with the foreign minister pekka havisto on Thursday, when the two officials will visit areas affected by last month’s devastating earthquake that struck parts of Turkey and Syria.
Niinisto and Erdogan are due to meet in Istanbul on Friday.
Alarmed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year earlier, Finland and Sweden abandoned decades of non-alignment and applied to join the alliance. All 30 NATO members have approved their applications, and 28 have ratified their accession. Only Turkey and Hungary have failed to do so.
The Turkish government has accused Sweden of being too soft on groups it sees as terrorist organizations and existential threats, including Kurdish groups. However, Ankara has said it has fewer problems with Finland’s membership.
Asked by journalists whether Turkey can confirm Finland’s membership after the Finnish President’s visit sauli ninisto later in the week, Erdogan replied: “God willing, if it is for the best.”
“Whatever the process, the process will work. We will do our work. We will keep our promise. We will meet the President on Friday and fulfill the promise we made,” he said.
Speaking during a visit to Berlin on Wednesday, the Swedish prime minister ulf christensen It is noteworthy that in recent weeks there have been increasing indications that Turkey is ready to ratify Finland’s membership before Sweden.
He said that we are prepared for that situation also.
“We do not hide at all that we like to confirm together to take the whole journey in hand,” Christerson Said. But “I have also always expressed the fact that every … country in NATO makes its own ratification decisions and we have the utmost respect for that.”
The Swedish leader said that “very good progress has been made” and that “we believe … that we are ready for ratification, but we respect that only Turkey can make Turkish decisions.”
“Of course, we expect a fast ratification process after the Turkish election,” he said. Erdogan is seeking a third consecutive term in office in the May 14 election.
Turkish authorities have been angered by a series of separate demonstrations in Sweden, including a protest against an anti-Islam activist who burned a Quran outside the Turkish embassy.
Niinisto is scheduled to visit Turkey with the foreign minister pekka havisto on Thursday, when the two officials will visit areas affected by last month’s devastating earthquake that struck parts of Turkey and Syria.
Niinisto and Erdogan are due to meet in Istanbul on Friday.
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