Turkey must "
make its choices
" on the integration into NATO of Sweden and Finland, at the risk of raising questions about its "
behaviour
" within the alliance, estimated Sunday the French Minister of Affairs foreign.
“
The Secretary General of the Alliance (Jens Stoltenberg, editor's note) is on the front line but it is up to Turkey to make its choices in the face of its responsibilities.
Does she want to strengthen the Alliance or is she against it?
Which would not fail to lead to questions about his behavior as a member of NATO
, “said Catherine Colonna in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche.
Read also NATO membership: no progress during the interview with the Swedish Prime Minister, according to Erdogan
“
Turkey is an important member of the Atlantic Alliance
,” noted the head of French diplomacy.
“
Finland and Sweden have made a historic choice.
Having them both in NATO would be a plus for our security in Europe.
They have made efforts in their discussion with Turkey
”.
Despite talks last Monday in Brussels between Turkey, Sweden and Finland, a rapid release of the candidacies of the two countries to NATO promises to be complicated as a summit of the organization from June 28 to 30 approaches. to Madrid.
Ankara accuses the two Nordic countries of harboring militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), classified as "
terrorist
" by Turkey and its Western allies.
She also denounces the presence in these two countries of supporters of the preacher Fethullah Gülen, whom she suspects of having orchestrated the coup attempt of July 2016.
Before their historic decision to apply to join NATO, Sweden and Finland - as well as NATO headquarters in Brussels - were counting on an express process of membership, with the hope that the necessary unanimity of the 30 members current ones will be posted from the Madrid meeting.
But after the Turkish blockage, the two nations recognize that the situation has changed.
According to the French presidency, President Emmanuel Macron intends to "
ask for clarity from Turkey as to its positioning
" within NATO on the occasion of the Madrid summit.