Whether Sweden will actually join by July is still very much in doubt, given that its accession still has to be ratified by Hungary and Turkey.Continue reading
Sweden should not expect a different attitude from Turkey on its NATO membership at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, the Turkish press reported on Wednesday, quoting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan was speaking to Turkish journalists on the plane home from Azerbaijan – reported Magyar Nemzet.
Regarding Sweden’s accession to NATO, Ankara is firm on its position that it will not support the country’s accession until it believes Stockholm will take stronger action against terrorism, particularly against members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkey is also demanding the extradition of several PKK members.
According to Turkish news television NTV on Wednesday, the Turkish head of state pointed out in his interview that while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was in talks with him in Istanbul on June 4, “terrorists” were demonstrating in the streets of Sweden. Erdogan underlined that in the current situation, they could not take a positive stance on Sweden’s admission to the military alliance.
The fact that Sweden has expectations does not mean that Turkey will meet them,”
the Turkish leader pointed out, adding that in order to do so, the Nordic country must first and foremost do its part.
Erdogan stressed that he had told Stoltenberg that Sweden must investigate the PKK’s activities there. “It is not a matter for the constitution or the law- what are the law enforcement agencies for?” the Turkish President asked, calling on the Swedish government to make use of the rights granted to law enforcement agencies.
As we reported earlier,
while Swedes are already on pins and needles about their NATO accession, it is still an open question, pending ratification by Hungary and Turkey.
Although US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that he had no doubt Sweden would become a member of NATO before the Vilnius summit this summer, the Swedish accession by July is still very much in doubt, given that it still has to be ratified by Hungary and Turkey.
Photo: Facebook/NATO
Hungary is also in no hurry to ratify Sweden’s request, mainly because Swedish-Hungarian relations are currently somewhat rocky as Stockholm has joined an international legal challenge against Budapest’s child protection legislation. Hungary has therefore been reluctant to approve the country’s accession.
However, Sweden’s recent support for Hungary in the European Union is a cause for optimism in relations between the two countries. Following talks in the European Parliament that it would take the rotating EU presidency away from Hungary in 2024, Sweden, which holds the presidency until June 30, said it did not intend to open a debate on the issue.
Via Magyar Nemzet, Featured image: Facebook/Recep Tayyip Erdoğan