Photo: Dursun Aydemir / AA-Brusels / Belgium
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At the invitation of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, senior officials from Finland, Sweden and Turkey met at NATO headquarters yesterday (June 20) to discuss the two countries' applications for NATO membership.
NATO issued a written statement after the meeting in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.
" While NATO was represented by Stian Jenssen, Director of the Secretary General's Private Office, Turkey was represented by Ambassador İbrahim Kalın, Presidential Spokesperson and Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Türkiye; Finland delegation was led by Petri Hakkarainen, Director of Foreign and Security Policy in the Office of the President of the Republic of Finland; and the Sweden delegation was led by Oscar Stenström, State Secretary with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the Security Policy Council, in the Office of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden." the statement said.
"The talks focused on the security concerns raised by Turkey in order to make progress on the NATO membership applications by Finland and Sweden."
"I welcome the constructive meeting held today on the historic applications by Finland and Sweden to join NATO," said Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
"Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO would make the Alliance stronger and the whole Euro-Atlantic area more secure. Türkiye has legitimate security concerns over terrorism that we need to address. So we will continue our talks on Finland and Sweden's applications for NATO membership, and I look forward to finding a way forward as soon as possible."
Summit in Madrid is not an endpoint
After the meeting, Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın and Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal also made statements to the press.
Referring to the summit to be held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, on June 29-30, where Sweden and Finland's application for NATO membership will also be discussed, Kalın said that negotiations with the two countries will continue.
"As we have said before, the NATO summit (in Madrid) is not an endpoint for us, so those negotiations will continue. That's what we told our interlocutors from Finland and Sweden,"
"Ankara is expecting Sweden to take immediate steps regarding actions by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in its country."
"Any progress on the membership of the two countries depends on the direction and speed at which these countries will take steps," he said.
"Turkey expects a change of approach"
Deputy Foreign Minister Önal said Turkey is expecting a change of approach from Sweden and Finland.
"Ankara needs 'binding promises' to address its concerns."
"We don't see ourselves limited by any timetable. The speed, scope of this process depends on these nations' manner and speed of meeting our expectations," he said.
Ankara's objections
Sweden and Finland on May 18 formally applied to join NATO. Accusing them, especially the former, of providing a safe haven for "terrorists," Turkey has opposed their membership.
Turkey has demanded the two countries take concrete steps regarding "terrorists" and asked Sweden to lift an "arms sales embargo."
The two countries have stated that they are ready to address Turkey's concerns, with Sweden signaling it may resume arms exports to Turkey.
(SD/TB)
