The pace of Sweden and Finland's NATO membership process depends on the steps to be taken by both countries, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın told reporters in Brussels on Thursday following the third round of talks between the sides.
"The steps Sweden and Finland will take from now on will determine the speed and scope of the process,” said Kalın, who chairs the Turkish delegation of the Permanent Joint Mechanism with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sedat Önal.
Kalın acknowledged “the positive steps” Finland and Sweden have been taking so far but noted these “aren’t enough and more action is necessary” to address Türkiye's security concerns regarding terrorist groups.
"We have been explicitly saying this until now. We want the pact signed in Madrid to be fully implemented. When this is done, the NATO membership of both countries will proceed positively," he said.
Sweden and Finland applied last year to join NATO but faced unexpected objections from Türkiye due to concerns regarding members and sympathizers of terrorist groups like the PKK, its Syrian offshoot the YPG and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
A trilateral memorandum the sides inked in Madrid last June won Ankara concrete promises it had demanded, especially in anti-terrorism, as it has been accusing the Nordic nations, especially Sweden, of tolerating and harboring terrorists.
The memorandum envisages Finland and Sweden, as future NATO allies, to show full solidarity and cooperation with Türkiye in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, against all threats to its national security.
But Türkiye suspended trilateral talks for the two countries’ applications in January after Sweden authorized a far-right figure to burn a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm and allowed terrorist PKK supporters to hold anti-Türkiye rallies.
Kalın on Thursday reiterated Ankara’s support for NATO’s open-door policy, saying, “There is no stalling on the part of Türkiye here. This is purely about our security concerns being addressed.”
He revealed Ankara was “aware” the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius this July was often marked as a “deadline” for ratification and said, “Türkiye will maintain its constructive attitude in bolstering the NATO alliance.”
After trilateral talks resumed, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also welcomed the progress made in Brussels, assuring that Türkiye, Finland and Sweden have agreed "on the long-term value of the permanent joint mechanism in fighting terrorism and will continue to cooperate in this format."
Oscar Stenström, Sweden's chief negotiator in the accession process, too expressed appreciation for Türkiye’s recognition of their efforts, saying it was “a good sign” and “a little step forward.”
“The talks have restarted and we have agreed that we will continue to meet and I can't say exactly when,” Stenström said.
Arguing that Sweden had fulfilled its part of the bargain, Stenström informed the government will introduce a new anti-terrorism bill to Parliament this week as part of its efforts to reassure Türkiye it is taking its fears over militants seriously.
In the face of criticism, Sweden's chief negotiator for NATO accession Oscar Stenström recently told Anadolu Agency (AA) that their stance on terrorism was no longer the same.
"Yes, we have changed. And we have realized better the security concerns of Türkiye. This will also improve the security of Sweden.
"Sweden should and will never be a safe haven for any terrorist, and that's why we're also increasing our cooperation between our security services. We're dedicating more funds to these services and defense. We will be happy to cooperate together in NATO," Stenström said.
The new law, work on which started in 2017 after a truck was driven into crowds in Stockholm killing five people, would criminalize "participation in a terrorist organization," the government said.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Thursday assured Sweden would fulfill its commitments toward Türkiye once the bill passes Parliament; however, the legislation was postponed until May 4 hours before the trilateral talks.
