“The two countries took some steps, we recognize them. But no step has been taken regarding requests for extradition of suspects and freezing of terrorist assets,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
Turkey stated today that Sweden and Finland they have made progress on joining NATO, but still need to do more to meet Ankara’s demand to tackle terrorism.
Sweden and Finland applied in May to join the NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but ran into objections from Turkey, which accused the two Nordic countries of harboring militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and other groups.
Stockholm and Helsinki deny harboring militants, but have pledged to work with Ankara to fully address its security concerns and also lift arms embargoes they have imposed on Turkey.
“The two countries took some steps, we recognize them. But no step has been taken regarding requests for extradition of suspects and freezing of terrorist assets,” the Turkish foreign minister said. Mevlut Cavusoglu to journalists during a NATO meeting in Bucharest.
Cavusoglu, however, praised Sweden’s new government for what he called a “more decisive, tough stance against terrorism.”
Speaking earlier today from Bucharest, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom had stated that his country and Finland had made progress towards an agreement with Turkey.
“We had a very good meeting yesterday (…) and I feel after this meeting that there is progress. We are moving forward,” the Swedish minister said upon his arrival for the second day of the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting.
Hungary, the only other member of the 30-member North Atlantic alliance that has yet to ratify the two Nordic countries’ membership, has promised to approve their requests in early February 2023, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said today.
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