Turkey comes out against Swedish and Finnish Nato membership
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has thrown up the first significant hurdle to Sweden and Finland joining Nato, declaring that "it’s not possible for us to look positively at this.”
Turkey, which has been a member of Nato since just a few years after the alliance was founded, has frequently clashed with Sweden over the support it has shown for the Kurds, a persecuted minority in Turkey whose Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), is classed as a terrorist organisation.
"We are following the developments regarding Sweden and Finland, but we don't hold positive views," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul on Friday. It had been a mistake even to admit Greece in 1952, he said.
"As Turkey, we don't want to repeat similar mistakes. Furthermore, Scandinavian countries are guesthouses for terrorist organisations," he said.
Sweden currently has six Kurdish MPs, representing the Liberal, Social Democrats, Sweden Democrats and Left Party.
"They are even members of the parliament in some countries. It is not possible for us to be in favour," Erdogan added.
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Turkey, which has been a member of Nato since just a few years after the alliance was founded, has frequently clashed with Sweden over the support it has shown for the Kurds, a persecuted minority in Turkey whose Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), is classed as a terrorist organisation.
"We are following the developments regarding Sweden and Finland, but we don't hold positive views," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul on Friday. It had been a mistake even to admit Greece in 1952, he said.
"As Turkey, we don't want to repeat similar mistakes. Furthermore, Scandinavian countries are guesthouses for terrorist organisations," he said.
Sweden currently has six Kurdish MPs, representing the Liberal, Social Democrats, Sweden Democrats and Left Party.
"They are even members of the parliament in some countries. It is not possible for us to be in favour," Erdogan added.
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