https://sputnikglobe.com/20220516/no-offence-turkey-cant-say-yes-to-finland-sweden-joining-nato-erdogan-says-1095548639.html
'No Offence': Turkey Can't Say 'Yes' to Finland, Sweden Joining NATO, Erdogan Says
'No Offence': Turkey Can't Say 'Yes' to Finland, Sweden Joining NATO, Erdogan Says
Sputnik International
Turkey has accused the two Nordic states of failing to extradite dozens of suspects "terrorists" - a reference to Kurds allegedly linked to the Kurdistan... 16.05.2022, Sputnik International
2022-05-16T17:09+0000
2022-05-16T17:09+0000
2022-05-17T09:54+0000
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Turkey cannot say "yes" to Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, adding that it is "impossible".According to the Turkish president, Ankara cannot believe assurances from the Nordic duo that they will not support "terrorists". By "terrorists" Turkey means Kurds residing in Sweden and Finland who are suspected to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party outlawed by Ankara and the Gulen movement.Erdogan went on to say that Ankara would not say "yes" to those who impose sanctions on Turkey.He added that delegations from Finland and Sweden will visit Turkey on Monday, but they "should not bother" if they want to try to convince Ankara. At the same time, he reiterated that Turkey did not want to repeat the same “mistake” when it agreed to readmit its regional rival Greece into NATO's military wing in 1980, which he previously said had allowed Athens “to take an attitude against Turkey by taking NATO behind it.”Both Stockholm and Helsinki have officially announced their intention to apply for NATO membership following the launch of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. However, Turkey has warned that it could block the expansion of the 30-member alliance, accusing the two countries of supporting Kurdish militants whom Ankara considers to be terrorists.According to Ankara, Sweden and Finland have so far rejected requests from Turkey to extradite a total of 33 suspects allegedly linked to the PKK and the Gulen movement, which, Erdogan's government believes, was behind the failed coup attempt in 2016. Nonetheless, Stockholm and Helsinki have proposed to work with Ankara towards a solution, as the Turkish government demands "security guarantees" from the Nordic states and lifting of their defense export restrictions on the country. "Our stance is perfectly open and clear. This is not a threat, this is not a negotiation where we're trying to leverage our interests. This is not populism either. This is clearly about two potential member states' support for terrorism, and our solid observations about it, this is what we shared," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday.While the rest of the bloc is eager to accept new members, the enlargement requires unanimous approval of all 30 members.Meanwhile, as Sweden and Finland have announced their NATO bids, Moscow has voiced its concerns about a possible expansion of the alliance, stressing that it would trigger an adequate response. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that “the latest expansion of NATO will not make our continent more stable and secure". He emphasised that the further strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank would “become an element for a special analysis and the development of the necessary measures to balance the situation and ensure our security.”
https://sputnikglobe.com/20220515/eu-lawmaker-threatens-turkey-with-isolation-in-nato-if-it-blocks-finland-sweden-alliance-bids-1095525923.html
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'No Offence': Turkey Can't Say 'Yes' to Finland, Sweden Joining NATO, Erdogan Says
17:09 GMT 16.05.2022 (Updated: 09:54 GMT 17.05.2022) Turkey has accused the two Nordic states of failing to extradite dozens of suspects "terrorists" - a reference to Kurds allegedly linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara designates as a terrorist organisation.
Turkey cannot say "yes" to Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, adding that it is "impossible".
"We can't say yes. Otherwise, NATO will not be a security organisation, but rather will become a place where there will be many representatives of terrorists. We cannot say yes, no offence," the Turkish leader said during a Monday briefing.
According to the Turkish president, Ankara cannot believe assurances from the Nordic duo that they will not support "terrorists". By "terrorists" Turkey means Kurds residing in Sweden and Finland who are suspected to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party outlawed by Ankara and the Gulen movement.
Erdogan went on to say that Ankara would not say "yes" to those who impose sanctions on Turkey.
He added that delegations from Finland and Sweden will visit Turkey on Monday, but they "should not bother" if they want to try to convince Ankara. At the same time, he reiterated that Turkey did not want to repeat the same “mistake” when it agreed to readmit its regional rival Greece into NATO's military wing in 1980, which he previously said had allowed Athens “to take an attitude against Turkey by taking NATO behind it.”
Both Stockholm and Helsinki have officially announced their intention to apply for NATO membership following the launch of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. However, Turkey has warned that it could block the expansion of the 30-member alliance, accusing the two countries of supporting Kurdish militants whom Ankara considers to be terrorists.
According to Ankara, Sweden and Finland have so far rejected requests from Turkey to extradite a total of 33 suspects allegedly linked to the PKK and the Gulen movement, which, Erdogan's government believes, was behind the failed coup attempt in 2016. Nonetheless, Stockholm and Helsinki have proposed to work with Ankara towards a solution, as the Turkish government demands "security guarantees" from the Nordic states and lifting of their defense export restrictions on the country.
A number of European nations, including Sweden and Finland, froze arms exports to Turkey following its military operation in northern Syria in autumn 2019.
"Our stance is perfectly open and clear. This is not a threat, this is not a negotiation where we're trying to leverage our interests. This is not populism either. This is clearly about two potential member states' support for terrorism, and our solid observations about it, this is what we shared," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday.
While the rest of the bloc is eager to accept new members, the enlargement requires unanimous approval of all 30 members.
Meanwhile, as Sweden and Finland have announced their NATO bids, Moscow has
voiced its concerns about a possible expansion of the alliance, stressing that it would trigger an adequate response. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that “the latest expansion of NATO will not make our continent more stable and secure". He emphasised that the further strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank would “become an element for a special analysis and the development of the necessary measures to balance the situation and ensure our security.”
