Finland, Sweden need not to send delegations to Ankara: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that there is no need for Finnish and Swedish diplomatic delegations to visit Turkey if they are coming to convince Ankara of their NATO bid, reported Xinhua.

"Will they come to convince us? Excuse us, but you don't need to bother," Erdogan said at a joint news conference with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune in the capital Ankara.

Neither Sweden nor Finland has a "clear and unequivocal stance against terrorist organizations," he said, adding that "NATO then will cease to be a security organization."

"First of all, we will not say 'yes' to those who impose sanctions on Turkey to join the security organization NATO," he said.

Ankara says Sweden and Finland harbor people that are affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or the Gulen Movement, which the Turkish government accuses of infiltrating into the state bureaucracy and then attempting a coup on July 15, 2016.

Meanwhile, Turkey's Justice Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Sweden and Finland rejected Turkey's request for the extradition of suspects affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) outlawed by Turkey and the Gulen movement, reported Xinhua.

The move comes even as the two Scandinavian countries, which have decided to join NATO, a military alliance, seek to overcome the potential veto from Turkey.

According to the ministry statement, the Turkish government has begun the extradition process for 12 people from Finland.

Six suspects were allegedly linked to the PKK group, and six others to the Gulen movement which is accused by the Turkish government of masterminding a failed coup on July 15, 2016.

Turkey also asked for the extradition of 21 suspects from Sweden, 10 affiliated with the Gulen movement and 11 with the PKK.

Both Nordic countries did not respond positively to any of the 33 extradition requests made in line with court decisions and evidence, according to Turkey's Justice Ministry.

While 19 of the extradition requests were rejected, five of them were left unanswered by Finland and Sweden, the ministry statement said, adding the process for nine extradition requests, two with Finland and seven with Sweden, continues.

The Turkish government does not favor Sweden and Finland's plan to join NATO, which requires "unanimous agreement" among all members before any decision on its enlargement is made.

Finland on Sunday formally announced that the country will seek the membership of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation).