Turkey urges Sweden and Finland to hurry up with their pledges to join NATO. Turkey is running out of time to ratify the two countries’ demands before elections in May, a Turkish presidential spokesman told a group of reporters in Istanbul today.
President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Turkey’s ratification of the countries’ demands depended on how quickly Stockholm fulfills its anti-terrorism promises. Those promises were made as part of a deal with Ankara.
The Turkish parliament is likely to announce a suspension six weeks before the parliamentary and presidential elections, so we need to hurry, says the presidential spokesman. “If you want the membership ratified, you’re looking at a two to three month window,” Kalin says.
Delay
Turkey has postponed Sweden and Finland joining NATO on the grounds that the countries have not done enough against banned groups, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, PKK. The Turkish government has especially exerted pressure on Sweden, requesting the extradition of dozens of suspects. Stockholm said earlier this month that Turkey is asking too much in return for approving membership.
Kalin complimented Sweden’s constitutional amendments on terrorism laws “but the country still needs six months to write new laws to allow the judiciary to implement the new definitions of terrorism.” And that, he says, can cause time constraints.
Sweden must “demonstrate with deeds, not just with words or statements, that the PKK will not be present, will not be authorized to raise funds or recruit members,” the Turkish spokesman said. The PKK has waged armed conflict in southeast Turkey for decades, seeking greater autonomy and freedom for the country’s largest Kurdish minority. It is seen as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU.
Safety
Turkey and Hungary are the only two countries to have rejected membership applications from Sweden and Finland. The two countries filed applications in May last year, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The countries joining NATO would represent a major shift in European security and provide greater protection for the Baltic countries on the alliance’s eastern border. Both Sweden and Finland are also in talks with the United States on defense cooperation agreements.
Next month, a Turkish delegation will meet their Swedish and Finnish counterparts at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The Turkish parliament will eventually vote on both countries’ questions at the same time.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
