Turkey’s president has advised journalists he nonetheless intends to dam Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO
Turkey’s president has advised journalists he nonetheless intends to dam Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO
Turkey’s president has advised journalists he nonetheless intends to dam Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned conferences this week with Finnish and Swedish delegations had not been “at the expected level,” noting there had been no steps taken to alleviate Turkey’s safety considerations.
“As long as Tayyip Erdogan is at the head of the Republic of Turkey, we cannot say ‘yes’ to countries that support terror joining NATO,” he advised journalists on his airplane following a go to to Azerbaijan Saturday, based on the each day Hurriyet newspaper.
Erdogan referred to an interview on Swedish state tv with Salih Muslim, a member of the Syrian Kurdish administration in northeast Syria, on the night time of the delegation assembly. He cited this as proof of Sweden’s help for Syrian Kurdish militants that Turkey views as an extension of an outlawed Kurdish group that has led an insurgency in opposition to Turkey since 1984.
“They are not honest or genuine,” Erdogan mentioned and vowed to not permit international locations that “nuzzle terrorists to their bosom, feed terrorists on their laps.” He additionally accused Germany, France and the Netherlands of committing the identical “mistake” of supporting terror.
The Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, kinds the spine of U.S.-led forces within the struggle in opposition to the Islamic State group. Turkey has been preventing the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, since 1984 inside Turkey and northern Iraq, the place it has stepped up its operations. Ankara has additionally led cross-border operations into Syria to push the YPG away from its border, saying they’re one and the identical because the PKK.
All NATO members should approve the 2 Nordic nations’ historic bid to affix the alliance, propelled by alarm at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Turkey, which instructions the second largest military within the alliance, has mentioned it gained’t permit their accession until steps are taken, together with a lifting of restrictions on weapons gross sales to Turkey.
Erdogan added he could be talking by cellphone with Russian and Ukrainian leaders on Monday.
Source: www.thehindu.com
