Tanks and infantry fighting vehicles belonging to the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Forward Enhanced Deployment Force (EFP) participate in the ‘Iron Sphere 2022’ training held at the Adaji Training Center in Latvia on the 11th (local time). Archyde.com Yonhap News
Finland and Sweden, which officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), met an unexpected stumbling block. To join NATO, the unanimous consent of the 30 member countries is required, but NATO member Turkey has opposed it.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters following attending a Friday prayer in Istanbul on the 13th (local time), Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency said, “It is not a positive stance for Finland and Sweden to join NATO.” .
Earlier, when it was reported that Finland would formalize its NATO membership policy on the 12th and Sweden would also submit an application for NATO membership on the 16th, it was predicted that the two countries would join NATO smoothly. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the two countries’ accession process would be expedited, and NATO’s core country, the United States, also expressed support. As such, Turkey has put the brakes on the atmosphere in which the two countries are certain to join NATO. NATO accession requires the consent of all 30 member countries, so if Turkey opposes it to the end, it will be difficult for both countries to join NATO. In an interview with Finnish state media ‘YLE TV1’ on the 14th, Finnish President Sauli Ninistö expressed his embarrassment, saying, “The message Turkey has sent us so far has been the exact opposite.”
The background of President Erdogan’s opposition is the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) issue. Erdogan said, “[Finland and Sweden]cannot be positive regarding joining NATO.” “Scandinavian countries are like guesthouses for terrorist organizations. In particular, the Swedish parliament has terrorist groups such as the PKK,” he said.
Turkey regards the PKK, which has been seeking independence for the Kurds, as a terrorist organization and the greatest security threat. The US and the European Union (EU) also classify the PKK as a terrorist organization, but Finland and Sweden have maintained a favorable attitude toward the PKK. Turkey sees the PKK recruiting funds and members from Europe, and building a strong foundation, especially in Sweden. In Sweden, where there are many Kurdish immigrants, there are six Kurdish members of parliament.
Sweden analyzed that Turkey was trying to negotiate by leveraging NATO accession issues. “It may be that Turkey is trying to use our NATO membership to get what Turkey wants,” Swedish Foreign Minister Anne Linde told local radio media on the 13th. It is possible that Erdogan may have brought up the PKK issue to gather supporters ahead of the presidential and general elections in June next year.
“Erdogan has long used NATO’s unanimous decision-making system to win concessions from other member states on a number of issues,” the Washington Post said in a statement. “We are analyzing it as an attempt to win concessions from the United States,” he said.
Parties are emphasizing a solution through negotiation. “If they (Finland and Sweden) have security concerns, we also have concerns regarding our security,” said Ibrahim Karn, spokesperson for the Turkish presidential office on the 14th. We have to look at it from a reciprocal perspective.” Finnish Foreign Minister Peka Havisto met with Turkish Foreign Minister on the 14th and said, “I am confident that Finland and Sweden will eventually find a solution and become NATO members.” NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Zeohonor also met with reporters at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin, Germany on the 15th and said, “I am confident that a consensus will be reached.”
The U.S., the NATO leader, also said it would engage in dialogue with Turkey. “The United States is trying to clarify Turkey’s position,” said Karen Donfrid, the US State Department’s head of European and Eurasian affairs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a phone call with President Niinistö on the 14th that “The change in Finland’s foreign policy course will have a negative impact on Russia-Finland relations, which have been mutually beneficial and built in a spirit of goodness and cooperation for a long time. ” he warned. From 00:00 on the 14th, Russia cut off electricity supplied to Finland through RAO Nordic, a subsidiary of Inter RAO, a Russian state-owned energy company. Russia cited the delay in electricity bill payment as a reason, but it is interpreted to be pressure on Finland to join NATO. Russian electricity accounts for 10% of Finland’s total electricity use.
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