Sweden ‘deliberately’ vulnerable its NATO bid
Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Sweden is “deliberately” stepping on mines laid out by terrorists on its path to NATO membership, the Turkish foreign minister has said, referring to recent terrorist provocations in Sweden that target Türkiye as “mines”.
“It is for Sweden to decide whether to clear the mines or step on them. If you step on them, they will explode,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday during an address in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.
If Sweden fulfils its commitments made in a tripartite memorandum for NATO accession, “we will sit down, talk and keep our word,” Cavusoglu added.
Last June, Türkiye and the two Nordic countries signed a memorandum at a NATO summit to address Ankara’s security concerns, paving the way for their eventual membership in the alliance.
In the memorandum, Sweden and Finland agreed not to provide support to terror groups such as the PKK and its offshoots, and FETO, and to extradite terror suspects to Türkiye, among other steps.
But Turkish officials say the countries, particularly Sweden, have yet to take the necessary steps against terrorism.
Talks on the Nordic membership bids stalled after recent provocative demonstrations and Quran burnings in Stockholm, prompting Finland to consider joining NATO without Sweden.
