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Finland and Sweden join NATO: Erdogan gives his word of power after negotiations

2022-06-10T14:00:15.263Z


Finland and Sweden join NATO: Erdogan gives his word of power after negotiations Created: 06/10/2022, 15:51 By: Florian Naumann, Bedrettin Bölükbasi, Stephanie Munk, Christoph Gschoßmann Because of the Ukraine war, Sweden and Finland want to join NATO soon - but Turkey is blocking accession. Discussions also seem to be unsuccessful. Sweden and Finland want to join NATO in the Ukraine conflict


Finland and Sweden join NATO: Erdogan gives his word of power after negotiations

Created: 06/10/2022, 15:51

By: Florian Naumann, Bedrettin Bölükbasi, Stephanie Munk, Christoph Gschoßmann

Because of the Ukraine war, Sweden and Finland want to join NATO soon - but Turkey is blocking accession.

Discussions also seem to be unsuccessful.

  • Sweden and Finland want to join NATO in the Ukraine conflict

    .

  • Turkey is resisting NATO membership:

    the country is blocking the plans and sees its own interests at risk

  • Erdogan's coalition partner talks about Turkey's departure from NATO

    : the head of the far-right MHP apparently wants to increase the pressure.

  • Erdogan speaks his word of power: Despite the talks, he reiterates his no.

  • This

    news ticker about the planned NATO accession of Finland and Sweden

    is constantly updated.

Despite talks, Erdogan again rejects NATO's northern expansion

Update from May 29, 2:07 p.m .:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains with his veto against the northern expansion of NATO even after negotiations with Sweden and Finland.

"As long as Tayyip Erdogan is at the head of the Turkish state, we cannot say 'yes' to NATO accession for countries that support terrorism," Erdogan said, according to the

Hürriyet newspaper

on Sunday.

Talks with representatives of the two Scandinavian countries on Wednesday did not go as expected, Erdogan said.

The countries have not taken the expected steps in the fight against terrorism.

Erdogan spoke to Turkish journalists on a return flight from Azerbaijan.

Turkey is currently the only NATO member to publicly block the beginning of the process of admitting the two Nordic countries into the defense alliance.

Ankara justifies its stance with the alleged support of Finland and Sweden for "terrorist organizations" such as the banned Kurdish Workers' Party PKK.

Ankara is also demanding the extradition of alleged terrorists from both countries.

It is unclear which people are involved.

According to the Turkish media, the government-critical publisher Ragip Zarakolu, who lives in Sweden, is also on the extradition list.

Joining NATO: Finnish Foreign Minister is optimistic

Update from May 28, 5:45 p.m .:

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto was again optimistic about Finland and Sweden joining NATO.

"Sooner or later Finland and Sweden will be members of NATO," the Finnish diplomat told US broadcaster CNN.

However, NATO member Turkey continues to accuse the Scandinavian countries of “supporting terrorist organizations” and is therefore blocking their accession to the defense alliance.

Haavisto stressed that talks with Turkey would continue.

It was agreed that the talks would continue, but no new round of meetings with Turkish diplomats had been planned.

Both Finland and Sweden sent delegations to Turkey for talks.

Finland and Sweden join NATO: Erdogan-Blatt speaks of PKK “contingent” in Stockholm

Update from May 27, 6:01 p.m .:

The tense situation continues to worsen.

The newspaper

Turkiye Gazetesi

 , which is loyal to Erdogan, has now pilloried five Swedish politicians of Kurdish origin as PKK collaborators.

The paper also wrote about a "contingent" of the Kurdish Workers' Party PKK in the Swedish parliament, which Turkey, the EU and the USA banned as a terrorist organization.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde even reacted to this personally.

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Linde writes on Twitter: "These are serious allegations that have no basis".

She describes the newspaper's publications as misinformation.

Linde said to the public news format

Ekot

: "I feel very hurt and angry about the lies that are being spread here, that's unacceptable".

Turkish foreign minister reaffirms veto on Finland and Sweden joining NATO

Update from May 27, 12:15 p.m .:

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has repeated Turkey’s demands for Finland and Sweden to join NATO, as well as the allegations of terrorism against the two countries, and justified the Turkish position.

"The reason why we are against Finland and Sweden joining NATO is their support for terrorist organizations," Cavusoglu said after meeting his counterparts from Romania and Poland, according to the Turkish broadcaster Habertürk: "Everyone knows why we are against it ."

Turkey accuses Finland and Sweden of supporting the PKK, which the EU and the USA have designated as a terrorist organization, and the Syrian YPG.

Turkey sees the YPG as an offshoot of the PKK, while the Syrian organization is an ally of the International Coalition in the fight against ISIS.

Cavusoglu referred to the meetings with Finnish and Swedish delegations and called for "concrete steps" from both countries.

At the meetings, information was shared on Helsinki and Stockholm's support for the PKK and the YPG.

“They took this information and returned to their capitals.

We are now expecting concrete steps," Habertürk quoted the Turkish Foreign Minister as saying.

According to the report, Cavusoglu emphasized: "If you want to become a member of NATO, you must end your support for terrorist organizations." He described the Turkish demands as "legitimate, open and clear".

In the midst of Finland and Sweden joining NATO - maneuvers on the Baltic Sea in the summer

Update from May 27, 6:32 a.m

.: NATO maneuvers with future members on the Baltic Sea in the summer: Against the background of the Ukraine war, a large multinational maneuver is planned in the Baltic Sea region under the leadership of the USA.

In addition to 14 NATO countries such as Germany, the partner countries Sweden and Finland will also take part in the annual maritime exercise "Baltops 22".

US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby said:

There should be 45 naval units, 75 aircraft and around 7,000 soldiers.

Sweden is hosting the maneuver this year, scheduled from June 5-17.

Sweden and Finland have applied for NATO membership because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The maneuver has been taking place regularly in the Baltic Sea region since 1972.

Update from May 26, 7:50 p.m .:

In the midst of the struggle for a NATO admission process, Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin sent a diplomatic signal: the head of government visited Ukraine on Thursday.

The program included a conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, but also site visits in Irpin and Bucha.

The Ukraine war was a key trigger for Finland to apply for NATO membership.

Macron talks to Erdogan about Finland and Sweden's NATO applications

Update from May 26, 3:59 p.m

.: French head of state Emmanuel Macron spoke to Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the Turkish blockade of the NATO admission process for Sweden and Finland.

After the two presidents had called, the Élysée Palace in Paris announced that Macron had expressed his desire for talks to continue in order to find a speedy solution.

Macron therefore emphasized how important it was to respect the sovereign decision of the two northerners.

Erdogan has made it clear that Finland and Sweden support terrorist organizations from Turkey's point of view and that this is not compatible with NATO's spirit of alliance, the President's Office in Ankara said.

Negotiations in the Ukraine conflict: Turkey allegedly intervenes in the grain crisis

26 May 10:02 update

: The visit of Finnish and Swedish negotiators to Ankara on Wednesday lasted five hours

(see previous update)

.

Erdogan adviser Ibrahim Kalin received diplomats from Sweden and Finland, who tried to allay Ankara's concerns.

But the Turkish government demanded "concrete measures" before agreeing to the two countries joining NATO.

"We will continue the talks as soon as we receive their answers to our demands," said Kalin, a close confidant of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Finland and Sweden join NATO: Turkey calls for concrete steps after meeting

Update from May 25, 7:55 p.m .:

After meeting with representatives from Sweden and Finland, Turkey renewed its demands for approval of the NATO admission process.

Turkey's security concerns have once again been made clear and concrete steps are expected, said Presidential Advisor Ibrahim Kalin after a meeting of the delegations in Ankara.

Otherwise the process cannot move forward.

The Scandinavian countries should take action against propaganda and financing of "terrorist organizations" such as the banned Kurdish Workers' Party and the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG, Kalin said.

Turkey is currently the only NATO member to publicly block the beginning of the process of admitting the two Nordic countries into the defense alliance.

Turkey leaving NATO?

Erdogan's coalition partner increases pressure - first offer from Sweden?

Update from May 25, 4:30 p.m .:

Bigger news from the negotiations between the nato candidate countries Sweden and Finland and Turkey are a long time coming.

However, reports on the sidelines of the meeting in Ankara point to a difficult starting position.

According to a report by the Finnish Hufvudstadsbladet

, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has

publicly demanded a written agreement in order to give up the accession veto.

Referring to the Turkish media, the newspaper also reported that Sweden had promised Turkey a review of its own terror legislation.

There was no confirmation of this at first.

Meanwhile, Devlet Bahceli, chairman of Erdogan's AKP's far-right coalition partner, brought up Turkey's exit from NATO.

“Turkey is not without options.

Even leaving NATO should be on the agenda as an alternative if circumstances become too confused.

We don't exist because of NATO, we won't perish without NATO," said the head of the MHP party, according to a report on the English-language website of the

Hürriyet newspaper

.

Bahceli renewed allegations against Sweden and Finland.

“How can we tolerate these states with terrorists roaming the streets?” he allegedly told his party MPs. “Is it reasonable to cooperate with criminal countries that impose an arms embargo on Turkey?” he added.

Tougher dealings with the Kurdish-Syrian YPG and a lifting of the said embargo are among Turkey's demands of Sweden.

There had also been speculation in the West about a NATO without Turkey.

However, the country is a strategically important partner for the alliance.

NATO accession: Sweden and Finland delegations in Turkey

Update from May 25, 3:50 p.m .:

Delegations from Sweden and Finland are working in Ankara on a solution to the NATO dispute with Turkey.

Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has denied allegations by Turkey.

"Of course we don't send any money to terrorist organizations or weapons," she said at a press conference in Stockholm on Wednesday afternoon.

Andersson was reacting to accusations from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

According to him, both Sweden and Finland would support the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Kurdish-Syrian YPG.

Both parties are banned in Turkey and are considered terrorist organizations there.

Turkey could use a veto to block Sweden and Finland from joining NATO.

NATO accession process: delegations from Sweden and Finland travel to Ankara

Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the lectern in Ankara.

© Mustafa Kaya/Imago Images

First report from May 25th:

Ankara - Turkey receives delegations from Sweden and Finland on Wednesday for talks about the NATO membership applications.

Representatives of the three countries are to meet in Ankara around noon, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

According to Turkish information, state secretaries are to travel for Finland and Sweden.

Sweden and Finland before joining NATO?

Guessing about talks with Erdogan advisor in Turkey

Turkey will be represented, among others, by Ibrahim Kalin, adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A reporter from the Swedish broadcaster SVT saw the presence of one of Erdogan's "closest confidants" in the morning as a sign of the "weight" that Turkey was attaching to the issue.

Further information about the talks is not yet public, it said there.

Erdogan's Turkey is currently the only NATO member to publicly block the start of the admission process for Finland and Sweden.

The two Nordic countries in NATO jointly submitted their membership applications to NATO last week under the impression of the Ukraine war.

All 30 member countries must agree to a country joining NATO.

Erdogan blocks NATO membership: Turkey accuses Finland and Sweden of supporting terrorism

Erdogan justifies his blockade attitude with the alleged support of Finland and Sweden for "terrorist organizations".

He demands tougher action from Finland and Sweden against the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Kurdish-Syrian YPG, which the government in Ankara classifies as terrorist organizations.

Turkey is also demanding the extradition of Kurds who have found protection in Finland and Sweden.

Turkey also accuses the two countries of having stopped arms deliveries to Ankara.

Last week there was already a phone call with Erdogan and his two counterparts from Sweden and Finland, but without a decisive breakthrough.

(smu/fn/dpa)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-06-10

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