Sputnik News
Turkey has accused the two Nordic states of failing to extradite dozens of suspects "terrorists" - a reference to Kurds allegedly linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara designates as a terrorist organisation.
Turkey cannot say "yes" to Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, adding that it is "impossible".
"We can't say yes. Otherwise, NATO will not be a security organisation, but rather will become a place where there will be many representatives of terrorists. We cannot say yes, no offence," the Turkish leader during a Monday briefing.
According to the Turkish president, Ankara cannot believe assurances from the Nordic duo that they will not support "terrorists". By "terrorists" Turkey means Kurds residing in Sweden and Finland who are suspected to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party outlawed by Ankara and the Gulen movement.
Erdogan went on to say that Ankara would not say "yes" to those who impose sanctions on Turkey.
He added that delegations from Finland and Sweden will visit Turkey on Monday, but they "should not bother" if they want to try to convince Ankara. At the same time, he reiterated that Turkey did not want to repeat the same “mistake” when it agreed to readmit its regional rival Greece into NATO's military wing in 1980, which he previously said had allowed Athens “to take an attitude against Turkey by taking NATO behind it.”
Both Stockholm and Helsinki have officially announced their intention to apply for NATO membership following the launch of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. However, Turkey has warned that it could block the expansion of the 30-member alliance, accusing the two countries of supporting Kurdish militants whom Ankara considers to be terrorists.
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