Turkey warns Sweden, Finland's NATO entry may be delayed over support to Kurdish groups

Amid the row over Sweden and Finland joining the NATO military alliance, Turkey, which has been opposing the membership bid of both nordic nations, has once again warned the Nordic nations to resolve all the grievances of Ankara before the most awaited NATO Summit which is due to start in Madrid on June 29. It warned to delay its membership for more than a year, "if it failed to address Turkey's concerns". According to a report by The Guardian, an MP for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and chair of the Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Akif Cagatay Kilic, said, "This is a matter of vital national interest, and we are prepared to prevent their membership for as long as a year if necessary."

Notably, Ankara, on several occasions, raised its concerns regarding Finland and Sweden's "unconditional" support to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Kurdish People's Self-Defense Forces (YPG). Turkey considers both organisations as terror outfits. Turkey claims it gave evidence of the existence of various terrorist organisations but none of the Nordic nations has acted against them. Further, Kilic noted that Turkey is the second-largest army in the US-backed military union and has been providing the drones that help Ukraine defend itself. "We deserve greater respect," he added. 

He maintained that Ankara has been doing its part for a long time and asked, "What are Sweden and Finland going to do if they become the NATO members?" According to Kilic, both Nordic countries are harbouring terrorist organisations that killed Turkish citizens. "The only thing we demand is that there are no distinctions. A terrorist organisation is a terrorist organisation," he added. 

Turkey blocks Finland and Sweden's NATO bid

It is worth mentioning last month, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg accepted the membership application of both Sweden and Finland amid fears of Russia's intention to harm Nordic countries. However, Turkey, which had earlier warned of hindering the plans of Sweden and Finland, blocked the US-backed military alliance's initial process. While reacting to their action against the countries, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged NATO allies to respect and support Ankara's concerns about its security. "We see that there is no such attitude towards us," he said. Earlier, it was speculated that the approval of the first stage of Finland and Sweden’s application would be completed within one or two weeks, however, Turkey's move has made it nearly "impossible".

Image: NATO/FACEBOOK/@Akif Cagatay Kilic