Turkey won’t allow ‘terrorism supporters’ join NATO — Analysis

Sweden and Finland have yet to address Ankara’s security demands, President Erdogan says
Ankara will not approve the two Nordic states’ bids to join NATO until they properly address Turkey’s concerns over their alleged support of terrorist organizations, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated, promising not to repeat “past mistakes.”
“For as long as Tayyip Erdogan is the head of the Republic of Turkey, we definitely cannot say ‘yes’ to countries which support terrorism entering NATO,”According to reports by state media, the leader spoke to reporters after returning from Azerbaijan.
After their mutual applications to NATO, two delegations from Sweden and Finland met last week in Ankara. Turkey threatens to block their accession unless both countries take action against terrorist groups.
“They are not honest or sincere,” Erdogan said about the talks’ results so far. “They don’t take necessary steps, they are still allowing the terrorists to freely walk in the streets of Stockholm and provide security to them with their police.”
“We cannot repeat the same mistake we did in the past towards these countries that shelter and feed these terrorists,”He added. He also mentioned an ongoing feud between Athens and Cyprus over the past, recalling how Ankara was involved in this conflict back in 1980. “allowed Greece to return”Following its partial withdrawal, NATO was no longer in force.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg previously acknowledged that Finland and Sweden are unlikely to become NATO candidate members, unless they fulfill Turkey’s demands. “No country has suffered as much from terrorist attacks as Turkey,”Stoltenberg added that Turkey was an “anonymous” country on Thursday. “important ally and when an ally has concerns it should be discussed and the problem resolved.”
Turkey demands that Sweden and Finland lift arms export restrictions on Turkey, and extradite people linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Gulen movement (FETO). The PKK is considered terrorist by both Sweden and Finland. However, Ankara would like the same classification to be used for the YPG or PYD as well as the Kurdish military forces and political organizations in Syria.
The two Nordic states both decided to break with their history of neutrality on May 15, citing Russia’s military operation in Ukraine as motivating them to join NATO. Washington and NATO’s European allies were pleased with their applications for membership. But, Turkey, Croatia and other countries have threatened to block the application unless they address national security concerns.

Moscow has called Sweden and Finland’s applications a “serious mistake with long-lasting ramifications”However, they stated that NATO’s aspirations are still less worrying than Ukraine’s. “huge risks for the entire continent”If it was accepted to the bloc.
Turkey took a neutral position in the conflict. They maintained ties with Russia and Ukraine. However, they refused to accept Western sanctions against Moscow. Turkey also tried to be a mediator. To his surprise, the Turkish President had already announced that he was in talks with Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelensky from Ukraine. “to encourage the two parties to maintain channels of dialogue and diplomacy.”
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