Turkey keeps reservations over Finland´s NATO bid

Turkey's objections to Finland and Sweden joining the NATO alliance persist despite diplomatic efforts and are not likely to change until the two Nordic countries accept Turkey´s demands.

Finnish and Swedish delegations, who went Ankara on 25 May to address Turkish objections to their joining the NATO military alliance returned home on Friday at the end of the talks, reported agencies.

The talks, however, did not bring any major significant progress regarding Turkey´s approval before NATO summit scheduled for June.

Turkey expects Finland and Sweden to take concrete steps citing their perceived support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, as well as the US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia, the YPG. Ankara claims such groups are a threat to its security.

Turkey expects Sweden and Finland to take concrete steps in this regard in exchange for Ankara's lift of objections to the two countries' NATO memberships, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday, according to Xinhua.

"Both countries need to take concrete steps. Our expectation is not something impossible. They have to stop supporting terrorism if they want to be a member of an alliance like NATO," Cavusoglu said at a joint press conference with his Romanian and Polish counterparts in Istanbul.

Cavusoglu said a written document, which concretely reveals Turkey's expectations from Sweden and Finland, was shared with their delegations during their visit to Ankara this week and a solid response is anticipated.

"We understand the security concerns of Finland and Sweden, but as many of our allies within NATO openly say, everyone needs to understand Turkey's legitimate security concerns as well," he noted.

Earlier, Finland and Sweden decided to hold meetings with Turkey in Ankara to negotiate the issues regarding their NATO membership bids.

On 22 May, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto expressed his optimism about resolving the issues with Turkey regarding Finland´s NATO membership application.

On may 21, President Sauli Niinistö held a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and discussed Finland’s NATO membership application.

Earlier on May 16, Finland and Sweden formally submitted their applications for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Turkey has been opposition the membership from before and after submission of the applications by Finland and Sweden.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on 13 May said that it was not possible for Turkey to support the possible NATO membership applications by Finland and Sweden.

Turkey has blocked discussions on Finland and Sweden's NATO accession hours after the countries officially launched their bids to join the alliance.

On 19 May, Erdogan said that Turkey would say "no" to Finland and Sweden's NATO membership bid, as the country would not make the same "mistake" again.

On the same day, US President Joseph R. Biden on Thursday underscored his commitment to support Finland and Sweden as they seek formal NATO accession while President Sauli Niinistö expressed willingness to discuss all the concerns Turkey may have regarding the membership of Finland and Sweden.