Ankara: A nato This week is unlikely to see a breakthrough to pull off the summit turkeyAccording to Turkish officials and Western diplomats, Ankara takes a nonchalant approach to negotiations as opposed to Sweden and Finland’s membership bids.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership, which would be a historic extension of the Western Defense Agreement. But the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan It surprised allies in May by opposing what they called Nordic countries’ support for terrorist groups.
Any membership bid requires the approval of all 30 NATO members, whose leaders in Madrid on June 29-30 were billed as a forum to seal an agreement.
Four sources told Reuters that Turkish negotiators are not concerned by deadlines imposed by foreign allies and for months to press for Nordic states to abandon the arms embargo and act if viewed as terrorist groups. are ready.
A major snag is Turkey’s demand that Sweden, in particular, extradite some Kurdish militants living there, based on draft language exchanged by NATO officials and the three sides this month, close to the matter. One person said.
Officials and diplomats did not rule out a last-minute deal. But Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin reiterated a week ago that Ankara – NATO’s second largest military and a member for 70 years – awaits binding steps and does not see the summit as a deadline.
“There were meetings, but unfortunately the steps we expected are not being taken,” said a Turkish government official involved in the talks. “It seems difficult to come out of the NATO summit.”
In an interview with broadcaster Habturk on Sunday, Kalin said he and Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal would hold renewed talks with Finnish and Swedish officials in Brussels on Monday, followed by talks between leaders of NATO, Turkey, Finland and Sweden. There will be another round of talks. The Tuesday before the Madrid summit.
“Participating this summit does not mean that we will take a step back from our position,” Kalin said, referring to Tuesday’s four-way meeting. “We’ve pretty much reached an agreement, there are some issues we don’t agree on. If we agree on those, we’re going to go to Madrid.”
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A person close to the matter, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, said the document outlining Swedish and Finnish commitments was boiled down to some sections that are not yet fully agreed.
They included the NATO partner’s fair treatment on arms export controls, which the Nordic states imposed on Turkey in 2019; Recognizing certain groups as terrorists; And concrete action on extradition of persons, the person said.
Turkey increased engagement in mid-June, but its approach is “not driven by internationally set thresholds like that of Madrid”, the person said, adding that a step forward was Stockholm’s agreement on ongoing counter-terrorism consultations.
Erdogan, who faces tough general and presidential elections in the next 12 months, says the Nordics harbor people affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a terrorist group considered by Turkey. The European Union And the United States, as well as Gulenist followers, accused a cleric of attempting a coup in 2016.
The tough stance has helped reverse his election, even as Turkey’s inflation rate rises and its currency falls largely due to the president’s unconventional economic policies.
A Western diplomat said Erdogan would eventually back the membership bids and declare victory to voters. “But the issue could go on for several months as he looks to the polls and NATO allies become increasingly frustrated.”
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership, which would be a historic extension of the Western Defense Agreement. But the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan It surprised allies in May by opposing what they called Nordic countries’ support for terrorist groups.
Any membership bid requires the approval of all 30 NATO members, whose leaders in Madrid on June 29-30 were billed as a forum to seal an agreement.
Four sources told Reuters that Turkish negotiators are not concerned by deadlines imposed by foreign allies and for months to press for Nordic states to abandon the arms embargo and act if viewed as terrorist groups. are ready.
A major snag is Turkey’s demand that Sweden, in particular, extradite some Kurdish militants living there, based on draft language exchanged by NATO officials and the three sides this month, close to the matter. One person said.
Officials and diplomats did not rule out a last-minute deal. But Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin reiterated a week ago that Ankara – NATO’s second largest military and a member for 70 years – awaits binding steps and does not see the summit as a deadline.
“There were meetings, but unfortunately the steps we expected are not being taken,” said a Turkish government official involved in the talks. “It seems difficult to come out of the NATO summit.”
In an interview with broadcaster Habturk on Sunday, Kalin said he and Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal would hold renewed talks with Finnish and Swedish officials in Brussels on Monday, followed by talks between leaders of NATO, Turkey, Finland and Sweden. There will be another round of talks. The Tuesday before the Madrid summit.
“Participating this summit does not mean that we will take a step back from our position,” Kalin said, referring to Tuesday’s four-way meeting. “We’ve pretty much reached an agreement, there are some issues we don’t agree on. If we agree on those, we’re going to go to Madrid.”
home election
A person close to the matter, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, said the document outlining Swedish and Finnish commitments was boiled down to some sections that are not yet fully agreed.
They included the NATO partner’s fair treatment on arms export controls, which the Nordic states imposed on Turkey in 2019; Recognizing certain groups as terrorists; And concrete action on extradition of persons, the person said.
Turkey increased engagement in mid-June, but its approach is “not driven by internationally set thresholds like that of Madrid”, the person said, adding that a step forward was Stockholm’s agreement on ongoing counter-terrorism consultations.
Erdogan, who faces tough general and presidential elections in the next 12 months, says the Nordics harbor people affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a terrorist group considered by Turkey. The European Union And the United States, as well as Gulenist followers, accused a cleric of attempting a coup in 2016.
The tough stance has helped reverse his election, even as Turkey’s inflation rate rises and its currency falls largely due to the president’s unconventional economic policies.
A Western diplomat said Erdogan would eventually back the membership bids and declare victory to voters. “But the issue could go on for several months as he looks to the polls and NATO allies become increasingly frustrated.”