City
Epaper

Turkey urges Sweden, Finland to fulfil NATO accession commitments

By IANS | Published: August 12, 2022 12:57 PM

Ankara, Aug 12 Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged Finland and Sweden to take "concrete steps" about their ...

Open in App

Ankara, Aug 12 Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged Finland and Sweden to take "concrete steps" about their commitments that should be fulfilled before their accession to the NATO.

"They have not yet fulfilled their commitments made in the documents (to join NATO)," Cavusoglu told the annual Ambassadors' Conference, which was held in the capital Ankara to discuss the Turkish foreign policy.

Finland and Sweden decided to join NATO after the outbreak of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war on February 24.

However, their accession bid was initially blocked by Turkey, which accused the two countries of supporting terrorist organisations after they refused Ankara's extradition requests for suspects affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Gulen movement.

The three countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 28 that addressed Turkey's concerns at the NATO summit in Madrid, in which Finland and Sweden pledged to support Ankara's fight against terrorism and agreed to address its "pending deportation or extradition requests of terror suspects expeditiously and thoroughly".

Member states of NATO, including Turkey, signed accession protocols for Sweden and Finland in early July, starting the procedure to admit the two Nordic countries into the military alliance.

The next step is for Parliaments of all NATO members to ratify their accession to NATO.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in July that his country would suspend Finland and Sweden's NATO accession process if they failed to keep promises on counter-terrorism.

"We want to learn why the necessary steps are not taken. There is no time pressure for us. Of course we have time pressure for the issue on terror, but eventually they are the countries that want to become NATO members," Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades.

The Gulen movement is led by and named after the US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who is regarded by his followers as a spiritual leader.

The Turkish government accuses the movement of masterminding the 2016 failed coup in which at least 250 people were killed.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Tags: Recep Tayyip ErdoğanmadridAnkaraNatoMevlut CavusogluReal madrid cityKurdistan workers' partyNorth atlantic treaty organizationNorth atlantic treaty organisationNato alliance
Open in App

Related Stories

Other SportsMadrid Spain Masters 2024: B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy Bow Out in Quarterfinals

InternationalRussia-Ukraine War: Vladimir Putin Vows to Deploy Troops Along Finland Border After It Joins NATO

Other SportsBarcelona sign Brazilian sensation Vitor Roque: here’s all you need to know about him

PoliticsTurkey to decide on Sweden's NATO bid in line with its own interests: Erdogan

PoliticsTurkey to expediate talks with EU on customs, visas: Erdogan

Politics Realted Stories

PoliticsExplained: Why PM Modi Is Raising issues like Mangalsutra, Hindu Card and Pakistan in This Election

PoliticsWill BJP and Uddhav Thackeray ever come together again? PM Narendra Modi has this to say

PoliticsPM Modi Reacts to Potential NCP (SP) Merger with Congress: Is Sharad Pawar Nervous about Baramati?

PoliticsThe Real NCP and Shiv Sena is With the BJP: PM Modi Takes Swipe at Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray Over Real Party Claim

PoliticsLok Sabha Election 2024: People of Maharashtra Have Been Greatly Supportive of the NDA, Says Prime Minister Narendra Modi