Turkey Imposes An Additional Condition For Supporting Sweden's Entry Into NATO. EU Must Accept Turkey's Membership

 

BBC News: Sweden Nato membership: Turkey calls for new EU membership talks 

Turkey's president has said his country will support Sweden's bid to join Nato if the European Union opens membership talks for his country. 

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would state his demand at the Nato summit in Lithuania later this week. He added that he had informed US President Joe Biden of his intentions. 

 Mr Erdogan's comments come ahead of a meeting with Sweden's prime minister and Nato's secretary general in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. 

Turkey is a Nato member and so has a veto over any new country joining the group.  

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WNU Editor: Brussels was quick to respond .... Brussels rejects Erdoğan's demand: NATO membership and EU accession are two 'separate' processes (Euronews).

 Turkey Imposes An Additional Condition For Supporting Sweden's Entry Into NATO  

Erdogan urges Europe to revive Turkish EU membership talks in exchange for Swedish NATO accession -- AP  

Turkey, Sweden Locked in Talks to Break Impasse Over NATO Membership -- Reuters  

If EU embraces Turkey, Ankara to back Sweden’s NATO bid: Erdogan -- Al Jazeera  

Why is Erdogan linking Sweden’s Nato bid to Turkey’s EU membership? -- Middle East Eye

Turkey's Erdogan Says No Nato Membership For Sweden

 

Politico.eu: Turkey’s Erdoğan plays down Sweden’s NATO hopes 

His remarks injected a chill into the growing optimism that Sweden could get the NATO green light soon. 

Sweden has still not won Turkey’s support to join NATO ahead of the military alliance’s summit in Vilnius next month, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday — pouring cold water on rising hopes that a deal might be near. 

“Sweden’s expectations don’t mean we’ll follow them,” Erdoğan said during a trip to Azerbaijan, according to Bloomberg and Turkish media, referring to Stockholm’s aspirations of becoming a NATO member before the alliance’s annual summit in July. 

Erdoğan’s comments were conspicuously timed, coming just as senior officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland met in Ankara to discuss Turkey’s concerns over Sweden’s NATO bid. 

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WNU Editor: I expect Sweden will formally join NATO in the future. But not now or at NATO's big summit in Vilnius next month. 

Turkey's Erdogan Says No Nato Membership For Sweden  

Turkey's Erdogan says Sweden shouldn't expect to join NATO any time soon -- AP 

Erdogan Says Sweden Shouldn’t Expect Turkish Support for NATO Bid -- New York Times  

Turkey's Erdogan says no Nato membership for Sweden at Vilnius summit -- Middle East Monitor  

Erdogan says anti-Turkish protests hinder Swedish NATO bid -- DW  

Turkey won't back Swedish NATO bid unless it stops anti-Turkish protests, Erdogan says -- Reuters

Turkey To Approve Finland's NATO Bid

As of 2022, NATO has expanded to let in three former Soviet states and all of the former Warsaw Pact countries. Bryn Bache/CNBC

JUST IN: Turkey to greenlight Finland's NATO membership bid. "We have decided to initiate the ratification process in our parliament", Turkish President Erdogan said after meeting his Finnish counterpart Niinisto in Ankara. Ratification expected soon, before TR elections in May. pic.twitter.com/kEFbu2VE66

— Julia Hahn (@juliahahntv) March 17, 2023

CNBC: President Erdogan says Turkey will start ratifying Finland’s NATO application 

* Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “We have decided to initiate the ratification of Finland’s accession process to NATO in our parliament.”

* In May, Finland and Sweden sent applications to join the military alliance.

* They decided to put an end to their policies of neutrality and military non-alignment in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday approved Finland’s accession to NATO after months of talks, but added that discussions with Sweden will continue. 

“We have decided to initiate the ratification of Finland’s accession process to NATO in our parliament,” Erdogan said in Ankara, according to a Reuters translation, as he met his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto. 

Erdogan added that he hoped the Turkish parliament would endorse Finland’s bid before the country’s May 14 elections.  

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WNU Editor: Hungary is also on board .... Hungary's ruling party to back Finland's NATO accession in March 27 vote (Reuters). 

Turkey To Approve Finland's NATO Bid  

Turkey's Erdogan seals deal on Finland joining Nato -- BBC  

President Erdogan says Turkey will start ratifying Finland’s NATO application -- CNBC 

Turkey to start ratifying Finland’s NATO membership after months of opposition -- CNN  

Erdoğan says Turkish parliament will ratify Finland’s application to join NATO -- The Hill

Erdogan Announces Turkey To Approve Finland's NATO Bid, But Sweden Left Behind -- Zero Hedge

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Says ‘Time Is Now’ For Turkey To Approve Finland, Sweden

 

VOA: Stoltenberg: ‘Time Is Now’ for Turkey to Approve Finland, Sweden Joining NATO 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday “the time is now to ratify both Finland and Sweden” as new members of the alliance. 

Speaking during a joint news conference in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Stoltenberg said the main issue is not whether the two countries are ratified together, but that their ratification comes “as soon as possible.” 

Çavuşoğlu said Turkey could evaluate the two bids separately. 

Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO members that have not ratified Finland’s and Sweden’s accession in a process that must be unanimous. 

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WNU Editor: Turkey is more focused on earthquake relief right now. Not Sweden's and Finland's NATO application. 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Says ‘Time Is Now’ For Turkey To Approve Finland, Sweden  

NATO chief urges Turkey to let Nordic pair join quickly -- AP  

NATO chief says 'time is now' for Turkey to ratify Finland and Sweden membership bids -- Reuters  

NATO Chief Tells Turkey To Ratify Sweden, Finland Membership -- AFP  

NATO chief in Turkey, urges swift ratification of Sweden, Finland memberships -- Al-Monitor

NATO Secretary General Says A Deal With Turkey To Admit Sweden And Finland Has Been Reached

 

The Guardian: Turkey lifts objections to Finland and Sweden’s Nato bid 

Ankara had previously blocked the Nordic countries from joining the alliance over concerns about arms exports and terrorism 

A last minute agreement has been reached between Turkey, Finland and Sweden to allow the two Nordic countries to become Nato members on the eve of the military alliance’s summit in Madrid. 

Nato said a trilateral deal had been reached at a meeting between Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Sauli Niinistö of Finland and the Swedish prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, in the Spanish capital. 

After a period of intensive negotiations, Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, said on Tuesday evening: “I am pleased to announce that we now have an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join Nato.”  

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WNU Editor: Wow!!!! They must have given Turkey quite a deal to make them agree to drop their opposition to Finland and Sweden joining NATO this quick. 

NATO Secretary General Says A Deal With Turkey To Admit Sweden And Finland Has Been Reached  

NATO reaches a deal with Turkey to admit Sweden and Finland, secretary-general says -- CNBC  

Turkey lifts its objections to Sweden, Finland joining NATO -- NYPost/AP  

Turkey lifts veto on Finland, Sweden joining NATO, clearing path for expansion -- Reuters  

Turkey ready to back Sweden, Finland NATO bids -- DW  

Turkey lifts opposition to Finland, Sweden joining NATO -- FOX News  

Turkey lifts block on Finnish and Swedish NATO bids -- Politico  

NATO: Finland and Sweden poised to join NATO after Turkey drops objection -- SKY News