On Wednesday, Sweden and Finland handed over their applications for NATO membership to the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Ankara had informed its NATO allies that it would say no to the membership due to their open support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party and Kurdish YPG militia, which are deemed terrorist organizations by Turkey. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde recalled that Sweden was among the first to list Kurdistan Workers' Party as a terrorist oraganization back in 1984.
"President Erdogan pointed out that the political, financial and weapon support Sweden had been providing to terrorist organizations should be brought to an end … President Erdogan further stated that the restrictions imposed by Sweden on Turkey in defence industry following Operation Peace Spring, which Turkey had to launch due to the terrorist threat originating from Syria against Turkey, should be lifted as well," the office said in a statement.
Also on Saturday, Stoltenberg held a conversation with Erdogan regarding Finland and Sweden NATO membership.
"Spoke with President @RTErdogan of our valued Ally #Turkey on the importance of #NATO’s Open Door and the membership applications by #Finland & #Sweden. We agree that the security concerns of all Allies must be taken into account and talks need to continue to find a solution," NATO chief wrote on Twitter.
Russia has repeatedly said that NATO aims at confrontation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that further expansion of the alliance will not bring greater security to Europe and NATO is aggressive. At the same time, he noted that he did not consider the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO an existential threat to Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto that Finland's accession to NATO could have a negative impact on relations between the two countries, which were built in the spirit of good neighborliness and partnership and were of mutual benefit. Putin reiterated that Moscow does not pose any threat to Helsinki, therefore abandoning the Finnish traditional policy of military neutrality would be a mistake.