Erdogan did not say whether the country will really go that far, but the Turkish president did say he has “no positive opinion” about the accession of Sweden and Finland.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the Scandinavian countries have shown interest in joining NATO. Yesterday, the government of Finland, which borders Russia, officially announced its intention to join the alliance.
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In Sweden, a decision is expected this weekend on possible accession to NATO.
unanimous decision
Turkey can throw a spanner in the works, because the accession of new members must be approved unanimously. If Turkey does not support any requests from Sweden and Finland, it means that those countries cannot join the alliance.
Erdogan blames the Scandinavian countries for supporting Kurdish parties. Turkey regards these parties as terrorist organisations.
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There are thirty countries in the alliance, which promise to protect each other in the event of a war. Most European countries, including the Netherlands, are part of NATO, as are the United States and Canada.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that Finland can count on a warm welcome to NATO and a swift and smooth entry into the alliance.
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