The agreement signed between Turkey, Sweden and Finland before the critical NATO Summit became the agenda of the whole world. The agreement, which was announced to the world by international news agencies with the ‘last minute’ code, found wide coverage in the world press. In the headlines, the agreement was declared as a ‘victory’ for Turkey and President Erdoğan.
AGREEMENT WAS FOUND FROM THE SUMMIT OF 4
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg were at the table at the Quadrilateral Summit in Madrid.
STOLTENBERG: I AM HAPPY
After the meeting, which lasted more than two hours, an agreement was reached, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, “I am happy to announce that we have reached an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join NATO.”
“Turkey, Finland and Sweden signed a memorandum responding to Turkey’s concerns, including arms exports and the fight against terrorism.”
BOTH COUNTRIES HAVE COMMITTED
With the agreement, Sweden and Finland made a commitment to fight the PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist organization, and not to support the YPG/PYD. In the memorandum of understanding, it was stated that Finland and Sweden gave their full support to Turkey against the threats to its national security, and these countries confirmed that ‘PKK is a banned terrorist organization’ and ‘prevented the actions of the PKK and all other terrorist organizations and their extensions. ‘ they promised.
In the tripartite memorandum, it was stated that Sweden and Finland “will not provide support to the organization defined as YPG/PYD and FETO” and that they agreed with Turkey “to increase cooperation in order to prevent the actions of these terrorist organizations”:
“Finland and Sweden give full support to Turkey against all threats to its national security. In this framework, Finland and Sweden will not support the PYD/YPG and the organization defined as FETO in Turkey. Finland and Sweden will also face all threats to their national security in Turkey. It gives full support to .
With the agreement reached, Ankara lifted the veto on the membership applications of the two Scandinavian countries to the alliance.
HAERETZ: TURKEY GOT WHAT IT WANTS
Starting a new era with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO is renewing its Strategic Concept Document at the Madrid summit. In addition to the document that will mark the future years of the alliance, the most curious issue before the summit was whether Turkey would support Sweden and Finland.
The agreement reached is presented in the headlines in the world media. CNN International, which gave the news with the headline ‘Turkey removed the major obstacle for Finland and Sweden to join NATO’, reports that a very critical summit will take place in Spain.
While the BBC said ‘Turkey supports Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership’, Al Jazeera preferred the headline ‘Erdogan accepted NATO enlargement at the Madrid summit’.
Israel’s Haaretz newspaper presented the news with the headline ‘Turkey got what it wanted, ready to welcome Sweden and Finland in NATO’.
The Washington Post, which wrote that the leaders of Turkey, Sweden and Finland came together on the opening day of the NATO Summit, carried the agreement to its first page: ‘Turkey is reducing its opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO.’
The Guardian newspaper saw the news on its first page with the headline ‘Turkey lifts opposition to Sweden and Finland’s attempts to join NATO’.
The Wall Street Journal newspaper, with the headline ‘Turkey stands behind Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership’, commented that the conflict that slowed the expansion of the alliance was over.
The British The Times headlined ‘Turkey, Sweden and Finland removed the barrier to NATO membership’.
Another British newspaper, The Telegraph, said that ‘Sweden and Finland are one step closer to NATO membership after Turkey lifted its objections’, and wrote that an agreement was reached after intense negotiations.
ERDOĞAN REMEMBERED HIS FOOTBALL PAST
The British Economist magazine, on the other hand, had the headline, “Turkey removed the obstacle for Finland and Sweden to join NATO, but Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is returning home with victory”.
Interpreting the agreement, which resulted in Turkey’s withdrawal of the veto threat, as ‘Erdogan’s victory’, The Economist referred to President Erdogan’s footballing past. The magazine wrote that the veto threat to Finland and Sweden was a ‘professional foul’ like in football:
“Turkey’s President does not hesitate to commit professional fouls to get what he wants in international politics. Last month, Sweden and Finland’s attempt to stumble upon NATO membership was as effective as it was frightening, even when Russia had created such a threatening environment.”
The Economist magazine wrote that the US had a share in the deal, as well as behind-the-scenes moves.
Voice of America (VOA) preferred the title ‘Green light from Turkey to Finland and Sweden’.
KATHIMERINI: GREECE SATISFIED
The Greek newspaper Kathimerini carried the agreement to its page with several separate news. The newspaper, ‘How does Athens evaluate Turkey’s ‘yes’ to Sweden and Finland?’ In its news titled, “Greek government is pleased with the agreement of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Sweden and NATO. The agreement reached does not affect the relations of Greece or the European Union with Turkey,” commented. The headlines of the other news in the newspaper were ‘NATO: Turkey gained from the agreement with Finland and Sweden’, ‘NATO: Turkey reached an agreement with Finland and Sweden, the way to accession was opened’.
In the Greek newspaper Ta Nea, ‘Athens is ready for anything/ Unpredictable What could be the next step Erdogan will take in NATO?’ published a news headline.