Tobias Billström referred to Sweden’s agreement with Turkey on the terms of NATO membership
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said his country is implementing the memorandum it signed with Turkey for Ankara to give the green light for Sweden and Finland to join NATO, but that compromises on freedom of expression are not part of the memorandum.
Ankara signed with Stockholm and Helsinki a memorandum at the summit of NATO last June to pave the way for Sweden and Finland to join the Alliance.
But a series of protests in Sweden against Turkey and against its president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as the burning of a Koran by a far-right Danish Swedish politician in the Swedish capital last month, led Ankara to freeze talks on Sweden’s NATO membership.
Erdogan has now raised the prospect of approving Finland’s entry into the Alliance, but not Sweden.
But Billstrom told the TT news agency that “religion is not part of the agreement” signed with Turkey.
The Swedish Foreign Minister emphasized that he understands the Turkish anger over the incidents, which although legal, were disrespectful. He added that it is now necessary for all sides to calm down and that talks with Turkey will continue.
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