On Thursday afternoon, the prime ministers of Finland and Sweden will meet the press together in Stockholm. The message is clear: They still want to join NATO – together.
The major political uproar that has followed Sweden and Finland’s NATO application continues.
Now Finland’s Sanna Marin and Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson meet the press and they confirm that Sweden and Finland are working towards joining NATO together.
– We started the process together and we want to complete it together, says Marin.
– It is in the interest of the entire alliance that we enter NATO together. The journey must take place hand in hand, she emphasized.
After the Koran burning in mid-Septemberconducted by the Swedish-Danish extreme politician Rasmus Paludan, Erdogan said that Sweden can no longer expect Turkish support for the NATO application.
More about the background to the conflict in the case «Supports Turkey in the Nato row: – All this could have been avoided”
Kristersson repeats the same message as his Finnish colleague.
– I understand the Finnish frustration, says Kristersson.
He told his people to calm it down the current situation with Turkey.
Swedish NATO membership depends on Turkey’s approval, as all NATO countries must agree if Sweden is to join the alliance.
Professor Akgün has previously told VG that the burning of the Koran should have been prevented:
– Everything seemed to go like clockwork, but then this happened. The Swedish government could do more to prevent the actions of this provocateur, he said.
Erdogan positive for Finnish Nato membership, not Swedish
Turkey will say no to Swedish NATO membership as long as the country’s government allows Koran burning, says President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a speech in the Turkish National Assembly on Wednesday.
– My holy book, the Koran, was burned and destroyed. As long as you allow this, we are not going to say yes to your NATO accession, says Erdogan The Express.
– When it comes to Finland we are positive, but when it comes to Sweden we are not positive.
Erdogan also hinted on Sunday that Turkey may let Finland into NATO and not Sweden, and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made similar statements on Monday.
