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NATO member against Sweden and Finland in bloc

Turkey has opposed the alliance intentions of the Scandinavian nations, claiming they are like ‘a guesthouse for terrorists’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared on Friday that Ankara opposes the possibility of Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO because he believes the two Scandinavian nations harbor ‘terrorists’.

By ‘terrorists’, the Turkish leader meant militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a separatist movement operating in southeastern Turkey, and members of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Front (DHKP/C), an outlawed Turkish communist party.

This statement came shortly after Helsinki, Stockholm and the US announced their intentions to join the US military alliance.

“We are currently following the developments regarding Sweden and Finland [joining NATO]We aren’t favorable to it. At this point, it is not possible for us to have a positive approach,”The Turkish President spoke to journalists.

“Scandinavian countries are unfortunately almost like guesthouses for terrorist organizations. PKK/DHKP/C is based in Sweden, the Netherlands. And I’m going even further, in their parliaments,”He concluded.

In April, concerned with Russia’s military action in Ukraine, Sweden and Finland started to consider dropping their neutral status and joining NATO. It has already been supported by high-ranking Finnish officials. Sweden will make its decision on joining the military bloc by May 15.

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FILE PHOTO. Naval units take part in the military exercise SWENEX in Sweden. ©Fredrik SANDBERG / TT NEWS AGENCY / AFP
Media names date of Sweden’s NATO bid

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated earlier that both countries would be included in the US-led NATO and the process of accession would move swiftly.

Moscow repeatedly declared that NATO expansion is a threat to national security. Also, the Kremlin warned Sweden and Finland about how they might compromise their security rather than increase it by joining NATO.

Russia attacked the neighboring state in late February, following Ukraine’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, first signed in 2014, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Minsk Protocol, which was French and German-brokered, gave the regions that were separated special status in the Ukrainian government. 

Since then, the Kremlin demanded Ukraine declare itself neutral and vow to never join NATO’s military bloc. Kiev claims that the Russian invasion was unprovoked. It also denies any plans to take the republics with force.

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