Sweden and Finland blocked from joining NATO, Turkey says the two countries have not met the conditions proposed by the Turkish side – yqqlm

Xinhua News Agency (Xinhua) Turkish media quoted Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on the 17th as saying that Sweden and Finland did not meet the conditions proposed by the Turkish side to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The Turkish side hopes that the two countries will fulfill their commitments in accordance with a previously signed document.

Turkey’s “Liberty” quoted Akar as saying that the Turkish side noticed that Sweden and Finland did not fulfill their commitments in accordance with the memorandum signed in June last year. The Turkish side hopes that the two countries will take concrete measures to lift the ban on arms exports to Turkey and stop supporting terrorist organizations.

Akar also said that the Turkish side condemned the demonstrations by the PKK in the Swedish capital Stockholm last week. The Turkish government has summoned the Swedish ambassador to Turkey to protest the incident. In addition, the Turkish prosecutor has launched a criminal investigation.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last May, but Turkey objected. After several rounds of negotiations, Turkey, Sweden, and Finland signed a memorandum at the end of June last year, confirming that Turkey agreed to support Sweden and Finland in joining NATO. Sweden and Finland will not support the PKK, the Syrian Kurdish armed “People’s Protection Forces” and the “Gülen Movement.” , and agreed to lift restrictions on the export of defense equipment to Turkey.

Turkey has designated the PKK and the “People’s Protection Units” as terrorist organizations, and has identified the “Gulen Movement” as an attempted coup in Turkey in 2016.

According to the regulations, NATO must have the “unanimous consent” of its 30 member states before it can admit new members. Currently, Turkey and Hungary have not officially ratified Sweden and Finland to join.