Turkey Still Blocks Finland, Sweden From Joining NATO Despite Pressure From the Military Alliance

Turkey won't approve Finland and Sweden in its NATO bid due to coddling organizations that are outlawed by Ankara. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is under pressure from the US and other members to reverse his hardline position.

Turkey Will Not Approve

Erdogan stressed the Nordic nations are a danger to his country's security, deal with them, or they will never be members, reported RT.

Support for enemies of Ankara like terror groups will not be tolerated, and no more repeats of mistakes in the past.

The Turkish leader gave an ultimatum when he spoke to the press on the way back from an Azerbaijan meeting last Sunday. As head of his nation, it will not allow Helsinki and Stockholm to be part of the Western military alliance if they support terrorists, cited Free Press Kashmir.

Following the Nordic nations' joint membership application to the US-led military alliance, representatives from Sweden and Finland met with Turkish counterparts in Ankara for discussions last a week ago.

To become a full-fledged member, it needs all 30 members to vote or no admittance; Ankara says it will stop the process unless the two prospective members control groups that are extremists.

He added they had not shown honesty or sincerity as the talks are seen. Steps aren't taken as requested, and these terrorists are free in Stockholm; they even have police security, noted Mass News.

Erdogan expressed that accepting Finland and Sweden to join NATO that allows terrorists to stay is a big mistake that should be avoided. It was a reference to Turkey and a long-running feud with Athens over Cyprus, which ended in 1980 when Ankara consented to Greece's return after the military bloc was suspended halfway.

Nordic Nations Must Abide by the Rules

According to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Finland and Sweden are unlikely to join the alliance except if Turkey's conditions were met.

Stoltenberg said last Thursday that Ankara had suffered many extremist attacks, and the alliance member is an important ally. Dealing with its concerns must be discussed to resolve the concern.

Turkey is demanding that Sweden and Finland remove their limitations on Turkish arms sales and extradite people associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Gulen movement (FETO).

Both Stockholm and Helsinki recognize the PKK as a terrorist organization; Ankara intends the same reference implemented to the YPG and PYD, Syria's Kurdish military and political groups.

Finland, Sweden Drops Neutrality

On May 15, the two Nordic countries renounced their history of neutrality, referencing Russia's military campaign against Ukraine as the underlying reason for their decision.

Washington and its allies welcome membership bids, but Turkey and Croatia are not for it, threatening to trash their bids over national security concerns.

Vladimir Putin warned these Nordic nations are committing an error with unpleasant consequences if they enter the western military alliance, though not as severe as Ukraine. These potential territorial claims may pose a risk to Europe if it is admitted to the military bloc.

Ankara has retained a neutral position in the conflict, preserving ties with Ukraine and Russia and refusing Western sanctions against Moscow while trying to play a mediator role.

Turkey stands in the way of Finland and Sweden seeking a place in NATO, although Erdogan has maintained that extremists should be dealt with before membership talks start and that its problem with Greece will not be repeated.