Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey approves of Finland’s application for NATO membership but does not support Sweden’s.Erdogan addressed his AK Party deputies in parliament and stated, “Our position on Finland is positive, but it is not positive on Sweden” regarding their applications for NATO membership.
After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Sweden and Finland applied to join the trans-Atlantic defense pact. However, Turkey unexpectedly objected, and they have since sought Turkey’s support.
Ankara wants the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey and the European Union consider a terrorist organization and another group it blames for a 2016 coup attempt, to be dealt with more severely in Helsinki and Stockholm in particular.
In June of last year, the three countries agreed on a path forward. However, Ankara suspended talks last month due to rising tensions following protests in Stockholm in which a far-right Danish politician burned a copy of the Koran, the Muslim holy book. “At this point, Sweden should not bother trying. “As long as they permit the burning of the Koran, we will not say ‘yes’ to their NATO application,” Erdogan stated.
The Foreign Minister of Sweden stated that Sweden would continue to implement the Madrid Agreement, but that there could be no compromise on freedom of speech. He stated to the national news agency TT, “It is very clear what is necessary for Sweden to become a member of NATO, and that is that we meet the requirements which are present in the trilateral agreement.”
“The agreement does not include religion.”
Erdogan indicated over the weekend that Ankara might agree to Finland joining NATO first, ahead of Sweden. However, Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated on Monday that his nation would continue to pursue a joint application with Sweden. Only Turkey and Hungary have ratified the Nordic countries’ memberships out of the 30 NATO members.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that NATO and the two Nordic nations would decide on any separate ratifications when asked if Turkey had plans for separate processes for Finland and Sweden. Cavusoglu stated at a news conference in Tallinn with his Estonian counterpart, “If NATO and the two countries decide for separate membership processes, Turkey will of course reconsider Finland’s membership separately and more favorably.”
On Wednesday, Finland reiterated its position that it will follow its Nordic neighbor.
In a statement, the joint presidential and government committee on Finnish security and foreign policy said, “Finland continues to advance the membership process together with Sweden.”
“The best interest of Finland, Sweden, and the entire NATO is the fastest possible realization of both countries’ memberships,” it added.
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