Erdogan ‘Milking’ Block on Nordic NATO Membership

Since Finland and Sweden announced that they intended to apply for NATO membership, Turkey has opposed their plans, accusing both Nordic countries of supporting Kurdish "terrorist" groups.

The courtship of officials from NATO, Sweden, Finland and other European countries has not even dented Turkey's stubbornness.

"A memorandum of understanding came from NATO. A document came from a Swedish senior advisor. We conveyed that these documents are far from meeting our expectations," Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu told a June 16 press conference with his Norwegian counterpart, Anniken Huitfeldt, and their Irish counterpart, Simon Coveney.

Turkey's foreign policy chief reiterated that Ankara had conveyed its concerns to NATO and the two countries.

"The ball is now with the Nordic countries regarding when and how these countries will meet Turkey's concerns. I would like to remind you once again that we are waiting for answers, not letters," Cavusoglu said.

Sweden and Finland have long followed a policy of military neutrality, so as not to anger neighbouring Russia, but the Russian Invasion of Ukraine has changed everything.

Both neighbours announced their wish to join the Atlantic alliance in mid-May.

Most NATO countries welcomed their decision as a significant boost to the club - but membership is not possible without Ankara's blessing.

Countries can join NATO only if all its members agree, which gives Turkey veto powers over enlargement.

Turkish demands are 'impossible to fulfil' Toni Alaranta. Photo: The Finnish Institute of International Affairs, FIIA.

Alaranta, a political historian specialized in Turkish domestic and foreign policy, who obtained his PhD from the University of...