Turkey threatened not to let Sweden into NATO because of its support for “terrorists”
Turkey will continue to block Sweden’s accession to NATO as long as Stockholm allows the activities of organizations recognized by Ankara as terrorists. This was stated by the official representative of the President of Turkey, Ibrahim Kalin.
“We once again openly say: advancing the process of the country’s accession to NATO is impossible until the activity of terrorist organizations is put to an end,” he said.
This comment appeared in response to an action held in Stockholm in support of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. It is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey. During the action, the Kurds “hung” the portrait of Turkish President Recep Erdogan, whom they compared to the ruler of Fascist Italy, Benito Mussolini.
“We strongly condemn these despicable actions against our president in Stockholm. We have conveyed our reaction and our expectations to the Swedish authorities. Taking specific measures against such actions is a requirement of the law and the commitments we have made to us,” Kalyna said.
Sweden in NATO – Turkey’s position
In mid-May 2022, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in response to the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The position of Turkey, which threatened to block the admission of these countries to NATO due to the fact that they gave shelter to Turkish dissidents, primarily Kurds, was a surprise.
After several rounds of negotiations, Ankara agreed in principle to admit Sweden and Finland to NATO, on the condition that these countries fulfill Turkish demands regarding the activities of organizations banned in Turkey. However, Turkey still has not officially ratified the application of Sweden and Finland.
