Ankara has set 10 conditions for Stockholm and Helsinki, the fulfillment of which could force the Turkish authorities to reconsider their attitude towards the membership of Sweden and Finland in NATO, the Yeni Safak newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The representatives of Sweden and Finland were presented with a package of requests during the May 25 talks in Ankara. In particular, according to the publication, both sides must declare support for Ankara in the fight against terrorist organizations and adopt relevant legislation. Sweden and Finland must close all organizations in their territory that are linked to the banned PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) in Turkey, their assets and media resources, and prevent their reopening. In addition, Ankara is urging Stockholm and Helsinki to lift the embargo on exports of defense industry products and extradite people linked to terrorist organizations. Turkish authorities also want to establish co-operation in the fight against terrorism between the country’s intelligence services.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated that Ankara will not support the accession of Sweden and Finland to the North Atlantic Alliance until Stockholm and Helsinki define their attitude towards the terrorist organizations to which Ankara refers the PKK, the so-called People’s Self-Defense Forces (Syrian Kurds) and the “Fetulah Terrorist Organization” (FETO), which the Turkish authorities accuse of being involved in the preparations for the 2016 coup.
