According to a spokeswoman for the Turkish president, Ankara is running out of time to approve Sweden’s and Finland’s applications to join NATO before the projected May general elections.
Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, warned that it would take months until Stockholm fulfills its “counterterrorism” commitments established as part of an agreement with Ankara before Turkey ratifies the bids of the other nations.
“Stockholm is fully committed to implementing the agreement that was signed last year in Madrid,” Kalin said at a news conference in Istanbul. “However, the country needs another six months to write new laws that would allow the judicial system to implement the new definitions of terrorism.”
Together with Finland, Sweden inked an agreement with Turkey last year to address Ankara’s concerns about their NATO applications, which were submitted in May of that year and need the consent of all 30 NATO members. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, both countries submitted applications to join NATO.
Turkey requests a stronger position.
Sweden, according to Ankara, needs to take a stronger position against what it views as “terrorists,” primarily Kurdish groups and the group it holds responsible for a failed coup attempt in 2016.
Last week, Stockholm stated that although it could not satisfy all of Ankara’s requirements for its support, Sweden was sure that Turkey would approve its application to join the NATO military alliance.
The two Nordic nations’ membership would need to be approved by the Turkish parliament, which is anticipated to vote on both at the same time.
Turkish authorities have launched an investigation into the event in Stockholm where an effigy of President Erdogan was hanged up, further straining relations between Sweden and Turkey.
The Swedish Prime Minister described the incident as “very serious” and a form of sabotage against the NATO application on Friday.
According to Kalin, the Swedish government must make it very clear to “terrorist organizations” that Sweden is no longer a shelter for them and that they will be unable to raise funds, enlist new members, and engage in other operations.
With regard to the anticipated Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections in May, Kalin continued, “We have a time issue if they want to join NATO before the NATO summit in June.”
You have two to five months to complete all of this, he continued, because the parliament will be in recess before the elections.
