Madrid/Istanbul, July 1, (dpa/GNA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned on Thursday that he will not send Sweden and Finland’s NATO accession protocols to the Turkish parliament for ratification unless the two countries keep their promises, including extradition of “terrorists” to Turkey.
“This thing [membership] will not proceed as long as we don’t ratify it at our parliament. Sweden and Finland must first fulfill their responsibilities. We will not send it to our parliament unless they do so,” Erdoğan said in a Madrid press conference.
Erdoğan was speaking on the last day of a NATO leaders summit after the alliance agreed to invite Sweden and Finland after weeks of stalled talks due to Turkish objections linked to terrorism concerns.
On Tuesday, Turkey lifted the veto on members after securing a series of cooperation pledges in counterterrorism efforts from Sweden and Finland, including extradition cases.
Sweden and Finland should not expect a fait accompli, Erdoğan said, noting that Northern Macedonia took 20 years to join the alliance.
Erdoğan also said he hopes US President Joe Biden’s “sincere efforts” to back a Turkish plan to modernize its F16 fighter jet fleet will get through the US Congress.
Turkey will soon send a delegate to the United States to discuss further steps, Erdoğan said.
“Mr Biden is confident on this issue. My wish is that we reach an agreement that fits our friendship,” Erdoğan said.
Earlier in Madrid, Biden said his support for the sale of a fleet of F16 fighter jets to Turkey is not in exchange for the admittance of Sweden and Finland to NATO.
“There was no quid pro quo with that,” Biden said in a press conference.
Biden said he previously supported the sale or modernization of the fleet of F16 fighter jets sought by Erdoğan. “It’s not in our interest not to do that,” he said.
The US president added he needs approval from the US House of Congress to proceed. “I think we can get it,” he said.
NATO Secretary General moved to play down concerns over Sweden and Finland’s accession to the alliance in his closing press conference.
Sweden and Finland are sovereign nations with “the right to choose their own path and join NATO,” Stoltenberg said.
The top NATO official was reacting to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments that positioning troops or equipment in both countries after entry to the alliance would mean Russia “would have to respond accordingly.”
Stoltenberg said NATO has noted Russia “is now fully focused” on the war in Ukraine but is however “prepared for any eventuality.”
NATO is “also taking note” of remarks by Moscow “that it doesn’t change so much that Finland and Sweden are joining the alliance,” he said.
Putin denied the Kremlin is threatened by Finland and Sweden joining NATO, but nonetheless said Russia would take countermeasures.
“There is nothing to worry us in terms of Swedish and Finnish membership of NATO,” Putin said in comments to journalists during a visit to Turkmenistan, adding that both countries should be prepared for a Russian reaction all the same.
“They must clearly understand that previously there were no threats to them – but if troops are stationed there and infrastructure established, we will have to respond accordingly and make the same threats to the territory from where threats to us are coming,” he said, according to the Russian TASS news agency.
GNA
