Finland must consider the option of NATO membership without Sweden, its foreign minister said for the first time on Tuesday January 24 after Turkish President Erdogan ruled out a green light from Ankara for the candidacy. Swedish.
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A joint membership of the two Nordic countries remains "
the first option
" but "
we obviously have to assess the situation, if something has happened which means that in the long term Sweden can no longer move forward
", affirmed the head of the diplomacy Pekka Haavisto on public television Yle, judging however that it is "
too early to take a position
".
“Delay” of Turkish green light
The burning of a Koran by a right-wing extremist during a demonstration, authorized by the police, on Saturday January 21 near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm sparked strong protests from Turkey and the Muslim world.
Turkish President Recep Erdogan said on Monday that Sweden could no longer count on Ankara's "
support
" after this incident, which adds to another caused by a video of pro-Kurdish activists in mid-January.
These protests are an "
obstruct
" for NATO candidacies and the "
protesters are playing with the security of Finland and Sweden
", lamented Pekka Haavisto on Tuesday.
"
My own conclusion is that there will be a delay (for a Turkish green light), which will certainly last until the Turkish elections in mid-May
," he acknowledged.
Ankara's right of veto
Unlike the case of Sweden, Turkey has expressed in recent months that it has no major objections to Finland's entry into NATO.
Like the 30 members of the alliance, Ankara must ratify the entry of any new member, having a de facto right of veto.
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Helsinki had, however, so far refused to speculate on the option of joining without Sweden, stressing the advantages of joint membership with its very close neighbour.
In May, the two Nordic countries submitted their candidacy the same day to NATO headquarters in Brussels, as a direct result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ending decades out of military alliances.
A memorandum of understanding with Turkey was signed in June in Madrid, but Ankara, which notably criticizes Sweden for being a haven for Kurdish "
terrorists
", considers Swedish efforts to respect it insufficient.
