Finland and Sweden send delegations to Ankara over NATO bids

The Turkish government officially stated that it does not want Sweden and Finland to join the NATO military alliance, thanks to its hostility to the Kurds.

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said that his country and Sweden would send delegations to Ankara to resolve the Turkish opposition to their applications for membership in NATO.

“We understand that Turkey has some security concerns over terrorism,” Haavisto remarked during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“We believe that these issues can be resolved. It is possible that some of the problems are not related directly to Finland and Sweden, but more to other NATO members,” Haavisto added.

The Turkish government officially stated that it does not want Sweden and Finland to join the NATO military alliance, thanks to its hostility to the Kurds. Turkey demands the extradition of several people from both countries, including writer and publisher Ragıp Zarakolu and Swedish parliamentarian Amineh Kakabaveh.

On Monday, Ankara outlined five conditions to endorse Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO bids. Turkey demands that Sweden lift sanctions against Turkey, including an arms embargo, and end support for the Kurds. Some claim that the Turkish government seeks to buy new fighter jets from the US through its blackmail.