Turkish Ambassador Emre Yunt assures that the favorable position of other NATO countries on Finland’s and Sweden’s membership will not affect Turkey’s demands.
20.5. 12:18 • Updated May 20th. 12:32
Turkey has set to slow down Finland’s and Sweden’s membership of NATO, although applications were expected to move rapidly. On Wednesday, the NATO Council failed to agree on accession talks, the next step in applying for membership.
Swedish Aftonbladet (switch to another service) released today, Friday by the ambassador Emre Yuntin an interview showing three main obstacles to Turkey’s approval: support for the Kurdish People’s Defense Unit YPG in northern Syria, a ban on arms exports to Turkey and a refusal to extradite a total of 33 people to Turkey. There are people in both Finland and Sweden.
According to Yunt, informal talks between Turkey and Sweden are ongoing through various channels. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on Thursday that discussions are also taking place between Finland and Turkey.
– No one from Sweden has spoken to the Turkish President. Our foreign minister warned Sweden that there could be reservations (for membership), Yunt says.
The most important thing for Turkey is to cut off support for the Kurds
According to Yunt, Sweden is arming the Kurdish People’s Defense Unit in Northern Syria, the YPG. Numerous Western countries supported the Kurds in northern Syria in the fight against ISIS.
Turkey considers that the YPG is, in effect, a branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and considers both to be terrorist organizations. The European Union only lists the PKK as a terrorist organization.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken of Finland and Sweden as countries that arm and disguise terrorists. There is alleged evidence in the Turkish media that Sweden is arming the PKK.
According to Yunt, ending support for the Kurds is Turkey’s main demand and the biggest obstacle to supporting NATO membership.
– Sweden supports the YPG financially and with arms. This force is attacking the Turkish army in northern Syria on a daily basis. We have confirmed that they have Swedish weapons, Yunt says.
“We want to solve problems”
Supplier of Aftonbladet Wolfgang Hansson asks whether Turkey is not pushing for Putin and Russia. Yunt’s answer is straightforward.
– We don’t do anyone else’s business at all. We care for Turkey.
According to Yunt, Turkey does not intend to bend, even if other member states support the membership of Finland and Sweden. As well as the President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö that the Prime Minister of Sweden Magdalena Andersson visited the White House yesterday and received strong support from the president From Joe Biden. Biden did not directly mention Turkey in his speech at the press conference.
– We want to solve the problems, but if Sweden stays in its position, we will not be any closer to a solution, Yunt says.