German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock says Turkey and Hungary should stop dragging out NATO enlargement by making additional demands and blocking Sweden’s entry into the alliance , and with it Finland.
Remember that these two countries insist on their intention to join the alliance at the same time.
Germany’s foreign minister, speaking at a joint press conference in Helsinki with her Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto, stressed that she expects all NATO states to ratify the EU’s candidacies. Sweden and Finland “without further ado”. According to Burbock, the joining of these two countries will strengthen the alliance as a whole.
In February, Ankara supported Finland’s candidacy, but demanded that Sweden take a tougher stance against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), as well as another group that Ankara accuses of being on the sidelines. origin of the 2016 coup attempt.
Turkey insists on the extradition by Sweden of the representatives of the PKK, who obtained political asylum in this country. Remember that in Turkey the PKK is banned and declared a terrorist organization.
In January, Turkey suspended talks with Sweden after a provocation in Stockholm when a right-wing extremist from Denmark defiantly burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy.
In May, Turkey will hold presidential and parliamentary elections, and many analysts believe that progress in negotiations with Turkey can only be made once they are completed.
Sweden and Finland decided to join NATO after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine . Of the 30 NATO member countries, only Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify Finland’s and Sweden’s applications to join the alliance. The admission of new members of NATO requires the approval of all member countries. Finland and Sweden were hoping for a quick accession process and were caught off guard by Ankara’s objections.
Sweden says it takes Turkey’s security concerns seriously and is implementing a tripartite agreement signed last June.
Ankara insists that is not enough.
Hungarian Prime Minister Orban announced in November 2022 that his country’s parliament would ratify Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership in early 2023, but that has yet to happen.
