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Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan holds a news conference during the NATO summit at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 14, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman

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ISTANBUL, May 19 (Reuters) - Turkey has told allies that it will reject Sweden and Finland's membership to NATO, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in a video posted on his Twitter account on Thursday.

Finland and Sweden formally applied on Wednesday to join U.S.-led NATO, a decision spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Turkey's objections have come as a surprise to the other members of the alliance. read more

"We will continue our policy in a determined way. We have told allies that we will say no to Finland and Sweden's NATO membership," Erdogan said in an interview with students late on Wednesday.

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The Turkish president said Sweden and Finland harbour and finance "terrorists" and supply them with weapons, repeating Ankara's accusation that the countries supports groups that it deems terrorists, namely the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and Syrian Kurdish YPG, which it also views as a terrorist group closely tied to the PKK.

"NATO is a security alliance and we cannot accept terrorists to be in it," Erdogan also said.

(This story refiles to remove extraneous question mark in third paragraph)

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Reporting by Ezgi ErkoyunEditing by Raissa Kasolowsky

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Originally posted here:
Turkey has told allies it's a 'no' to Sweden and Finland's NATO bid ...

Turkey's Erdogan once again expressed opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO.

But based on comments from him and other officials, Turkey may just be looking for concessions.

Turkey wants the countries to extradite suspected Kurdish militants and end limits on arms sales.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated on Monday that he would not support Finland and Sweden joining NATO, once again accusing the Scandinavian countries of supporting terrorists. The Turkish leader also said Ankara couldn't back the NATO aspirations of countries that impose sanctions against Turkey.

Erdogan said that delegations from Helsinki and Stockholm shouldn't bother coming to Ankara to persuade Turkey to change its position, which came after reports that the Swedish and Finnish foreign minister's would "soon" travel to the Turkish capital to discuss the matter.

"We will not say 'yes,'" to Finland and Sweden's NATO applications, Erdogan said on Monday, per The Guardian. Erdogan said that neither country has "a clear, open attitude towards terrorist organisations." He asked: "How can we trust them?"

Finland announced its intention to formally apply for NATO on Sunday, and Sweden quickly followed. Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine catalyzed this historic, rapid shift in policy for both countries, which have been militarily non-aligned for decades. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the two would be welcomed into the alliance with open arms.

But NATO enlargement requires unanimous support from current members, and Erdogan is seemingly trying to leverage Turkey's vote in order to gain concessions from the two countries regarding Kurdish militants Ankara views as terrorists as well as arms export embargoes.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at NATO headquarters in Brussels, May 25, 2017.Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images

Ankara has repeatedly taken issue with Western governments like Sweden over their support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The dominant fighting force in the SDF, which has been the West's main partner in the fight against ISIS, is the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Turkey regards the YPG as a terrorist organization, associating it with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) a militant, separatist group that has waged a violent campaign against the Turkish government since the mid-1980s as part of an effort to establish an independent Kurdish state.

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The YPG has denied having any explicit organizational links with the PKK, but Turkey effectively views them as one in the same. The US also views the PKK as a terror group, but it hasn't taken the same stance toward the YPG and has worked closely with the SDF in the campaign against ISIS. Turkey has also rebuked the US over its support for the SDF.

This complex backdrop helps explain why Erdogan on Friday said he did not view Finland and Sweden's NATO aspirations positively and accused them of harboring terrorist organizations.

Over the weekend, Turkey's top diplomat appeared to signal that there was room for negotiation on the issue, laying out Ankara's demands in this regard.

"There absolutely needs to be security guarantees here. They need to stop supporting terrorist organizations," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Berlin, per Reuters. The Turkish government has demanded that Finland and Sweden extradite suspected members of Kurdish militant groups like the PKK, while also calling for the two countries to lift restrictions on arms exports to Turkey that were imposed over military actions in Syria in 2019.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesperson for Erdogan, on Saturday told Reuters that Turkey was "not closing the door" on Finland and Sweden's NATO bids. "But we are basically raising this issue as a matter of national security for Turkey," Kalin added.

Erdogan is running for re-election next year, and could be trying to score political points domestically by tying this issue to Turkey's issues with Kurdish militant groups.

"Erdogan decided to make this very public and announce Turkey's position, with a view also to obtain support domestically," Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat, told the Wall Street Journal, adding, "This is how he operates. He always has an eye to domestic politics."

Stoltenberg, the NATO chief, on Sunday said he did not believe it was Turkey's intention to prevent Sweden and Finland from joining the alliance. "Turkey has made it clear: Their intention is not to block membership," Stoltenberg told reporters Sunday, the Washington Post reported. "Therefore, I am confident we'll be able to address the concerns that Turkey has expressed in a way that doesn't delay the accession process."

But Erdogan's comments on Monday threw more uncertainty into the process. Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, offered remarks on the latest moves that stood in stark contrast with Moscow's generally hardline stance and threats against NATO expansion.

"Russia has no problem with these states none," Putin said to the leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led military alliance. "And so in this sense there is no immediate threat to Russia from an expansion of NATO to include these countries," he added, according to Reuters.

Previously, Russia threatened military retaliation if Finland and Sweden joined NATO. That said, Putin on Monday added that "the expansion of military infrastructure into this territory would certainly provoke our response."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Read more from the original source:
Turkey's Erdogan hints he'll hold Finland and Sweden's NATO bids ...

Every member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has enthusiastically welcomed Finland and Sweden except one: Turkey, which on Wednesday blocked an early vote to begin accession talks. For reasons that are political, parochial and irrelevant to the decision, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken a hard line in his efforts to derail the prospective members. This should raise the question of whether Turkey under Mr. Erdogans leadership belongs in the alliance.

Similarly, NATO members have shown steadfast resolve since Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, except for Turkey. With the exception of permitting the sale of combat drones to Ukrainea deal between Kyiv and private defense manufacturer Baykar Makina that was signed before the warAnkara has offered little more than noisy diplomacy. Mr. Erdogan has tried to position himself as a broker of peace between Ukraine and Russia, mirroring his previous and similarly ineffectual offer to negotiate with the Taliban during Americas withdrawal last year.

See the rest here:
Does Erdogans Turkey Belong in NATO? - WSJ

On Tuesday, an opinion piece was published on CNN, stating that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan are both allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The author suggests, therefore, that Hungary and Turkey should be made irrelevant.

The article calls Orbn Putins closest ally in the European Union, mentioning that he has threatened to veto proposed sanctions on Russian oil that the other 26 member states have approved. Drawing parallels between the EU and NATO, the article continues: Similarly in NATO, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isnot looking favorably at the possible accession of historically neutral powers Finland and Sweden, and on which the rest of the alliance is supportive of them joining.

CNN writes that thanks to such allies:

The op-ed also mentioned European Commission President Ursula von der Leyens visit to Budapest, on which we have also reported. It says that von der Leyen could report only that shed succeeded in clarify[ing] issues with the Hungarian strongman.

Related article

"We made progress, but further work is needed," Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated in a Twitter post.Continue reading

The article says that the solution to these toxic delays being forced by Hungary and Turkey is to do crave-outs:

Whats the worst Hungary or Turkey could do sue? Pull out?

Harvard Professor Robert I. Rotberg seems to agree with the idea: You are absolutely right to urge the EU to just forge ahead without Hungary. The unanimity rule was foolish to begin with and now is the time to test it. He adds, however, that Hungary could refer the decision to the European Court of Justice which is both bad and good.

As Index reports, another reading of the oil embargo issue is that Brussels made the decision on the embargo hastily, without due preparation, and neglecting practical economic considerations, which proved that the vetos control of Brussels decision-making by member states was justified. (A former MEP wrote an opinion piece on this on Index).

CNN also mentions the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court. Rotberg believes that this would be a good place to try Erdoan, Orbn, Putin, and many more. That is why it is needed. So, we are moving. Such a court is being actively pursued by Rotberg together with a group consisting of some 40 former heads of state and an equal number of Nobel Prize winners, CNN writes. The article also mentions that Putin has been playing on the concept of unanimity for years.

Related article

The European Commission's 44-page notification letter mostly lists cases of suspected corruption in public procurements, explaining why they violate the EU budget and the rule of law.Continue reading

Now is the time for democracies to dig in their heels and proclaim that enough is enough that right will be forced to triumph. In the end, we will all be stronger for it, the article concludes.

The CNN op-ed was written by David A. Andelman, a veteran foreign correspondent, author, and commentator who contributes frequently to CNN Opinion on global affairs. To read the full article, click here.

Featured image via Zsolt Szigetvry/MTI

Read the original here:
CNN: Erdoan and Orbn Are Putin's Allies, They Have to Be Made "Irrelevant" - Hungary Today

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett may soon visit Turkey, as Jerusalem and Ankara move to improve ties following years of acrimony.

Erdogan declared that a visit by Bennett could lead toward a new process in bilateral relations between the countries, according to the official Anadolu news agency.

He also said cooperation on natural gas could play a key role in furthering diplomatic ties.

Shortly after Erdogan spoke, however, an Israeli source cited by several Hebrew media outlets said no trip was currently planned.

Bennett has spoken by phone with Erdogan but has not met in person with the longtime Turkish leader since becoming premier last June.

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Erdogans remarks Friday came after he hosted President Isaac Herzog in Ankara earlier this month, the highest-level visit by an Israeli official since former premier Ehud Olmert went to Turkey in 2008.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a media conference after an extraordinary NATO summit at NATO headquarters in Brussels, March 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

The Turkish president said at the time that this historic visit will be a turning point in relations between Turkey and Israel, while Herzog hailed the trip as a very important moment in relations between our countries.

Herzog later said despite the mutual interest in rekindling ties, the process was being carried out under no illusions, but reflects bilateral interests.

Turkey and Israel once were close allies, but the relationship frayed under Erdogan, who is an outspoken critic of Israels policies toward the Palestinians. Israel also has been angered by Erdogans embrace of the Hamas terror group.

The countries withdrew their respective ambassadors in 2010 after Israeli forces stormed a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians that broke an Israeli blockade. The incident resulted in the deaths of 10 Turkish activists.

Israels President Isaac Herzog speaks to the media during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, March 9, 2022. (Burhan Ozbilici/AP)

Relations improved and then broke down again in 2018 when Turkey, angered by the US moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, once more recalled its ambassador, prompting Israel to respond in kind. The two countries have not restored their ambassadors.

The steps toward a rapprochement with Israel come as Turkey, beset by economic troubles, has been trying to end its international isolation by normalizing ties with several countries in the Mideast region, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

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Erdogan claims Bennett may soon visit Turkey; Israel said to deny it - The Times of Israel