Media reports that Turkey demanded that Finland and Sweden satisfy ten requirements before joining NATO. Ankara, according to Yeni Safak news, revealed the documents were verified last Wednesday.
Turkey Opposes Accession of Finland, Sweden to NATO
The Turkish government has yet to verify the list's truthfulness, and it is similar to past official statements from Ankara, reported RT.
Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan has blocked the two Nordic nations from joining the military alliance, and he calls these nations guesthouses for terrorist organizations. They host Kurdish groups like the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which the Turkish government has outlawed.
If confirmed to be legitimate, the list of demands clearly shows that terrorism-related fears remain the key issue for Ankara regarding Helsinki and Stockholm's NATO bids. That's the subject of seven out of ten requests, cited Fars News.
Top of that, the Nordic nations need to prove to Erdogan could give his support; either nation has given no guarantees that it will curb these terrorist organizations.
They are the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), suspected of plotting a coup in 2016, and their affiliates as well.
One of these conditions included in Ankara's list for Helsinki and Stockholm to establish the legal regulations and framework to stop terrorism, or they will have a problem, noted Good Word News.
Ankara also wants Swedish and Finnish officials to inhibit PKK branches from establishing offices.
Based on the list published by Yeni Safak, FETO operations in Finland and Sweden must be forbidden, and their web pages and media offices must be shuttered, said Turkey.
Ankara also demanded that terrorist-related organizations' investments be locked, terror suspects are kicked out of the country and taken back, and protests are forbidden.
Ankara's Concern on Coddling Terrorist Groups
These Nordic countries were asked to share information about the activities of these terrorist groups with Ankara and also to end the embargo on the Turkish defense industry.
As a result of Turkey's military incursion in Syria, some European countries, including these Nordic countries, imposed a ban on arms trade with Turkey in 2019. Stressing the two candidates for the military block need to satisfy conditions to join.
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto admitted that due to the stance of Turkish officials on Helsinki, officials are having difficulty and did not expect the conditions imposed on them.
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson reacted to Turkey's chief issue in late May and said it was simple for her to make clear that Sweden does not transfer funds or weapons to terrorist organizations.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg remarked numerous times that all members' security issues should be addressed and has not openly called on Sweden and Finland to satisfy Turkey's demands. He is confident that they will resolve their differences, to add a new member to NATO, all NATO states must agree.
These Nordic states remained outside of NATO during the Cold War and finally joined the coalition in the immediate wake of Russia's offensive in Ukraine.
Russia is displeased with the decision to join the military bloc and will have the needed response as a threat to security. Turkey has a list of demands for Finland and Sweden to comply with before NATO admits them; they comply or never join the military bloc.
