Finland and Sweden say they will continue a dialogue with Turkey over their bids for NATO membership, but did not say whether there had been progress on overcoming Ankara’s objections to their joining the military alliance.
The Nordic neighbours applied to join NATO last month in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but they have faced resistance from Turkey, which accuses them of being safe havens for Kurdish militants and wants them to scrap arms export bans.
Addressing reporters in Helsinki while commenting on talks that took place in Ankara last week Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said, “Together with Sweden, we will do our homework and prepare for the questions Turkey has.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to Washington that he would convene senior officials from Finland, Sweden and Turkey in Brussels in the coming days to discuss the issue.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after meeting Stoltenberg, said NATO members’ security concerns should be taken into consideration, but said he was confident the accession process for Finland and Sweden would move forward.
A bid to join NATO requires unanimous backing from the alliance’s current 30 member states.
Speaking at an event in Stockholm, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said she expected constructive meetings with Turkey to take place in the near future.
Turkey has accused Finland and Sweden of harbouring people linked to groups it deems terrorist organisations, including the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), but Haavisto said the PKK was already considered a terrorist group by all EU members, including Finland.
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