The thirty member countries of NATO will launch the ratification process for the accessions of Sweden and Finland on Tuesday, July 5, a historic decision for the two Nordic countries dictated by the war led by Russia in Ukraine.
"
The Allies will sign Finland's and Sweden's accession protocols on Tuesday
," the Alliance said in a statement.
"
We are preparing to welcome two new allies with formidable military forces and capabilities
", underlined its Secretary General, the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, during a ceremony for the entry into office of the new Supreme Allied Commander Europe (Saceur), American General Christopher Cavoli.
Requirements for Ankara
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde and her Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto took part in the final discussions at the organisation's headquarters in Brussels on Monday, ahead of the planned signing of accession protocols on Tuesday and the start of the ratification process in each of the members. of the Alliance.
Turkey agreed to the launch of this procedure at the NATO leaders' summit in Madrid, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reminded the two Nordic countries of the conditions to be met.
"
If they fulfill their duty, we will submit (the memorandum) to the
" Turkish Parliament for adoption, but "
if they do not, it is out of the question for us to send it to Parliament...
“, he warned at a press conference.
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Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of a "
promise made by Sweden
" regarding the extradition of "
73 terrorists
".
It appears in a memorandum signed Tuesday in Madrid between the leaders of the three countries before the opening of the summit “
They will send them back, they promised.
It is in written documents.
They will keep their promise
, ”he assured, without further details.
Turkey arrests 'those who speak out critically'
Ankara has been calling for several years in Stockholm for the extradition of Kurdish activists and people close to the movement founded by the preacher Fethullah Gülen, accused by the Turkish authorities of having fomented the coup attempt of July 2016. Sweden and Sweden Finland are members of the European Union, but the agreement signed in Madrid "
only commits these three countries
", Nabila Massrali, spokesperson for the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, recalled on Monday.
Read alsoAnkara spoils the celebration of the future accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO
“
Anti-terrorism legislation is a sovereign right of States, but it must respect fundamental rules and rights.
Turkey has a broad interpretation of its anti-terrorism legislation and it takes the opportunity to arrest all those who speak out critically, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders
,” she told reporters.
.