US: Turkey’s NATO issues with Sweden, Finland will likely be fastened

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated Friday he’s confident Turkey’s objections to Finland and Sweden becoming a member of NATO may be overcome swiftly, probably in time for a summit of alliance leaders at the finish of next month.

At a information conference in Washington with visiting Finnish Overseas Minister Pekka Haavisto, Blinken stated the U.S. has no reason to consider Turkey’s concerns cannot be addressed. His comments got here after Turkey’s prime diplomat stated Finland and Sweden would have to take “concrete steps” earlier than Ankara might assist their membership.

“The United States absolutely helps Finland and Sweden becoming a member of the alliance and I continue to be confident that each will quickly be NATO members,” Blinken stated. “We look forward to having the ability to name Finland and Sweden our allies.”

Haavisto mentioned his nation and Sweden had held “good negotiations” with the Turks over their considerations in latest days and stated those discussions would proceed with an eye fixed toward resolving them earlier than the NATO summit in Madrid at the finish of June.

“We agreed to proceed to these talks,” Haavisto mentioned. “We think that these issues might be solved that Turkey has been elevating. We hope that some results might be achieved earlier than the NATO summit.”

Sweden and Finland submitted their written applications to join NATO final week. The move represents one of the biggest geopolitical ramifications of Russia’s battle in Ukraine and will rewrite Europe’s security map.

The international locations’ membership bids require support from all 30 current NATO nations, but Turkey, which commands the second-largest navy within the alliance, is objecting to them. It has cited alleged help for Kurdish militants whom Turkey considers terrorists and restrictions on weapons sales to Turkey.

Earlier Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the Finnish and Swedish negotiating delegations had been given paperwork detailing Turkey’s issues, like data on terror teams, throughout their visit to Turkey this week. He stated Ankara is awaiting particular solutions.

Cavusoglu said “an strategy of ‘we’ll convince Turkey in time anyway, we're associates and allies’ would not be correct.” He insisted that “these international locations must take concrete steps.”

He added that “we understand Finland and Sweden’s security concerns but ... everyone also needs to grasp Turkey’s reliable safety considerations.”

Turkey this week listed 5 “concrete assurances” it was demanding from Sweden, together with what it mentioned was “termination of political support for terrorism,” an “elimination of the source of terrorism financing,” and the “cessation of arms help” to the banned PKK and a Syrian Kurdish militia group affiliated with it.

The calls for additionally known as for the lifting of arms sanctions towards Turkey and global cooperation in opposition to terrorism.

Cavusoglu’s feedback came at a information conference with the visiting foreign ministers of NATO allies Poland and Romania, both of whom expressed robust assist for Finland and Sweden’s bids.

“There is no doubt that we do want the accession of Sweden and Finland to the NATO alliance as a way to make it stronger,” Polish Overseas Minister Zbigniew Rau stated.

Romanian International Minister Bogdan Aurescu, agreed, saying their membership would “consolidate the collective protection and our safety.”

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