World
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson (left). Photo: Adem Altan/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Sunday said that Turkey is asking for things Sweden “cannot” provide in return for supporting the Nordic country’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but remained confident that Ankara will approve their application.
Sweden and Finland submitted their applications to join NATO in May following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but their bid was hindered by Ankara who accused the two countries of being a haven for groups and individuals that the Turkish state considers “terrorists.”
"Turkey has confirmed that we have done what we said we would do, but it also says that it wants things that we cannot, that we do not want to, give it. Now the decision rests with Turkey," the Swedish premier was cited by Swedish broadcaster SVT as saying during a security conference in Salen.
Kristersson added that he was convinced that Ankara will support Stockholm’s bid to join the US-led military alliance, but stressed that it was not possible to determine when that will be.
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto reiterated his country’s commitment to Sweden in their NATO bid, saying that Helsinki will not join the alliance without Stockholm.
“We submitted the NATO membership application together, we will also complete the process together,” said Haavisto.
Turkey, Sweden, and Finland signed a trilateral memorandum in Madrid in June, under which the Nordic countries would “address” Turkey’s extradition requests and establish a legal framework for facilitating the process once Turkey has provided evidence of their “terror” background.
In December, Stockholm extradited a Kurdish refugee, Mahmut Tat, to Turkey for his alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
A Swedish court in late December blocked the extradition of a Turkish journalist, Bulent Kenes, to Turkey despite being previously named by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as one of the people wanted.
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