Sweden and Finland have hit a snag on their way to NATO membership. Hours after submitting his formal application for membership, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has repeated that he opposes the entry of the two Nordic countries, taking into account that they need the approval of the thirty members of the Atlantic Alliance.
But the war in Ukraine has revived many ghosts from the past in Finland and Sweden, who ask for express admission.
“We want all NATO member states to ratify our request as soon as possible. A quick ratification process is the best security for Finland and Sweden at this time,” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin asked on Wednesday.
Why does Turkey impose its veto?
Turkey imposes its veto because it does not forgive the relations between Sweden and Finland with the Kurdish independence movement, mainly with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), but also with the armed Kurdish movements in Syria fought by Turkey.
Ankara also criticizes both countries for rejecting its demands for the extradition of members of “terrorist organizations”.
“NATO enlargement makes sense to us as long as our sensitivities are respected. Supporting the PKK terrorist organization in every way and at the same time expecting our support to enter NATO is, to put it mildly, incoherent.” says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The United States hopes to be able to “respond to Turkey’s concerns”
The United States hopes to be able to unblock the situation. This Wednesday, the heads of Turkish diplomacy, Mevlüt Çavusoglu, and the American, Antony Blinken, met in Washington.
US President Joe Biden has expressed in a statement his “strong and warm support” for Sweden and Finland joining NATO. Some analysts believe Ankara could give in in exchange for US weapons or fighter jets.
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