Turkish President Erdogan said for the first time that his country could accept Finland’s entry into NATO without Sweden.
“If necessary, we can give another response regarding Finland. Sweden will be shocked when we give a different response to Finland,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during the meeting. with young voters, broadcast on television on January 29, reminded of the possibility of accepting Finland’s accession to NATO without Sweden.
The Turkish leader also repeated his demand that Sweden hand over the suspects Ankara is looking for, mainly related to the Kurdish militia that Ankara considers “terrorists” and involved in the coup plot. 2016.
“If you really want to join NATO, you will hand over these terrorists to us,” Erdogan said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets young voters in the city of Bilecik on January 29. Photo: AFP.
The Turkish president’s statement came after the country suspended NATO accession talks with Finland and Sweden. Ankara’s move could hinder NATO’s plan to expand to 32 members.
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on January 24 that there is no reason to consider the option of the country joining NATO alone without Sweden, because the two Nordic neighbors have repeatedly affirmed that they will join the alliance together. .
Sweden and Finland in May 2022 ended decades of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO. To join the union, the two Nordic countries must have their applications approved by the parliaments of all 30 member states. Turkey and Hungary are the two remaining members that have not yet agreed, but the Hungarian legislature is expected to ratify both Finland and Sweden next month.
Ngoc Anh (Theo AFP)