A good start, but more is needed, is Turkey’s message to Finland and Sweden. The wait in the NATO corridor continues.
Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen (central) assessed yesterday in Ankara that Finland’s NATO path at least did not go backwards during his visit to Turkey.
Turkey is still a significant obstacle in Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO path, and there is no information when Turkey will ratify Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to the defense alliance.
Both countries will try their best at the NATO summit in Madrid of the signed document (you switch to another service) from the bottom.
One of the points of the Madrid paper is the entry that there are no arms export bans between Finland, Sweden and Turkey. Kaikkonen was told by the Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi for Akarithat there are a few arms export projects to Turkey pending in Finland. The projects have received the green light based on prior statements (you will switch to another service).
The advance statement is not an export permit, but the message is clear, things are progressing in the direction Turkey wishes.
Turkey may be particularly pleased that the messenger is Kaikkonen, who was also the defense minister in 2019, when Finland suspended arms exports to Turkey. The basis was Turkey’s ground attack on northern Syria.
Has already been granted in Sweden (you switch to another service) at least one permit for the export of defense material.
Turkey wants more
There is more to Turkey’s list of demands, some of it can be read in the Madrid document and some of it is additional conditions set by Turkey. One of the most controversial is the demand for the extradition of people whom Turkey characterizes as terrorists.
It is known that the “terrorists” who were on the extradition list leaked to the public have not been sent to Turkey. Sweden recently deported a Kurdish man who received a negative asylum decision from outside the list. Turkey in the opinion of the Minister of Justice (you move to another service) the decision is a “good start”, but more is needed. This is Turkey’s standard reaction.
Estimates have been made, according to which the NATO deadlock between Finland and Sweden will finally be resolved by the United States offering Turkey both a stick and a carrot.
But it is difficult to put pressure on Turkey, at least publicly.
President Erdoğan would likely see the pressure as an opportunity rather than a threat, as many Turks have a negative attitude (you switch to another service) to the United States and the defense alliance to NATO.
Erdoğan wants to present himself as a strong leader ahead of next year’s parliamentary and presidential elections, so the clashes may be welcome.
Erdoğan needs money to win the election
President Erdoğan’s actions are currently guided by the goal of being re-elected. That requires a NATO game, but much more. One key goal is to get Turkey’s economy on a better footing, at least temporarily.
Money from abroad is needed to stabilize the economy. One source of money is Putin’s Russia.
Erdoğan has made balancing between the West and Russia a skill. Turkey has criticized Russia’s actions in Ukraine, such as the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories to Russia. Weapons have also been delivered to Ukraine from Turkey.
At the same time, Erdoğan is in close contact with President Vladimir Putin, and it is not just about peace talks.
Turkey has not joined the sanctions against Russia, on the contrary, the countries are developing their economic relations. Putin has promised to make Turkey (you go to another service) significant gas market, although it is somewhat unclear where Russian gas would be delivered from Turkey.
Russia is also building a large nuclear power plant on the Mediterranean coast. It has been channeled through the nuclear power project billions of dollars (switching to another service) To Turkey.
In order to stabilize the economy, investments are also sought from elsewhere. Saudi Arabia was sometimes Turkey’s enemy, but now the countries are friends again and Saudi Arabia also promises to open its money taps (you will switch to another service).
NATO and the West only one option for Turkey
Although Turkey is an important NATO country, the West is only one option for it. It complicates the pressure on Turkey in the NATO issue.
The Madrid Memorandum of Understanding has also proven to be a good tool for Turkey to put pressure on Finland and Sweden.
Turkish representatives remind that Turkey expects Finland and Sweden to comply with what was agreed in Madrid. And specifically Turkey’s interpretation of it, I should probably add.
Read more: Turkey became a life hole for Russia both in the economy and in tourism – the United States already warned about too close relations
Foreign Minister Haavisto commented on the NATO talks between Finland, Sweden and Turkey: “For Finland, the conditions have been met in many ways”