Turkey has blocked the move to fast-track Finland and Sweden's formal bids to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Sweden and Finland, two historically non-aligned Nordic countries, formally submitted their applications to join NATO on May 18th.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accepted the membership requests at the NATO headquarters in Brussels saying, “I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join Nato. You are our closest partners." Stoltenberg hailed the occasion as “a historic step” and “a good day at a critical time for our safety”.
Turkey however, blocked an early move to fast-track the two countries’ requests demanding that they extradite “terrorists” and that the alliance respect its concerns.
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Why is Turkey against Finland and Sweden joining NATO?
Following are Turkey's accusations against Sweden and Finaldn-
- Turkey has accused Sweden and Finland of harbouring terrorists, the members of Kurdish militant groups that Turkey considers as terrorist organisations.
- Turkey has also objected to the two countries decisions in 2019 to ban arms exports to Turkey over its military operations in Syria.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused Sweden of providing safe haven to members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) and followers of Fethullah Gülen, who Turkey sees as the main accused beind the 2016 coup attempt.
- As per Turkish President Erdogan, Turkey had asked Sweden to extradite 30 terrorists, but they refused to do so.
The Turkish President asked NATO to respect Turkey's reservations saying, “Nato expansion is only meaningful for us in proportion to the respect that will be shown to our sensitivities." He stressed that "Nato is an entity for security, an organisation for security. Therefore, we cannot say ‘Yes’ to this security organisation being deprived of security."
Will Turkey's opposition block Sweden, Finland's attempt to join NATO?
Turkey blocked a vote by NATO ambassadors on opening talks on Sweden and Finland's bids, which means that the first stage of the accession process may take longer than planned, as only after all NATO allies give consent can Sweden and Finland start accession talks with the alliance.
However, despite Turkey’s stalling tactics, the admission of the two Nordic countries into the organisation is likely. The US and its other NATO allies are in complete support of Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
Check List of NATO Member Countries Here
US Rejects Turkey's Opposition
In fact, US President Joe Biden strongly supported their applications on May 19 while meeting the leaders of the two nations, as Russia's war in Ukraine has posed a major threat to the European continent's security. He also rejected Turkey's opposition, insisting the two countries "meet every NATO requirement and then some."
Biden clearly stated that the US and allies would "deter and confront any aggression while Finland and Sweden are in this accession process."
This is a historic moment for Finland, Sweden, and the world — one that will turn close partners into Allies and strengthen our collective security at this crucial time. I strongly endorse their NATO applications and will continue to support them as they seek accession. pic.twitter.com/G45hDjVTqQ
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 19, 2022
How long will it take for Sweden and Finland to join NATO
NATO's expansion has to be approved by all 30 members and then ratified by their respective parliaments, which could take up to about a year. However, the alliance has said it wants to fast-track the process given the potential Russian threat to Finland and Sweden.
Tune in as I deliver remarks with Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and President Sauli Niinistö of Finland. https://t.co/EaRI5mkhDA
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 19, 2022
Impact of Sweden, Finland joining NATO
- With their formal bids to join NATO, the once-neutral Nordic countries Finland and Sweden are abanding their decades-old military non-alignment.
- Their accession to NATO is expected to bring formidable capabilities in Arctic warfare, as both countries are well-equipped with modern militaries.
- Their membersip will double the length of NATO's border with Russia and make the Baltic states easier to defend.
- The two countries will enhance the security of NATO alliance in the high north region.
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