ISTANBUL- In a joint press conference in Ankara on Monday, with Portuguese Foreign Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu gave indications that Finland’s NATO application could be considered separately from that of Sweden’s. As Cavusoglu commented: “If NATO and these countries (Finland and Sweden) take such a decision, we as Turkiye think that we may evaluate the applications separately, but first of all, NATO and these countries have to decide.” The Turkish FM added: “I think it would be fair to distinguish between a problematic country and a less problematic country.”
Cavusoglu and Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto were in a discussion via telephone after Turkish President Erdogan’s comments on Sunday, regarding the Turkish government’s stance on Finland’s NATO bid. Both countries had agreed to make a joint bid to join NATO after decades of non-military alignment, in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine almost one year ago. Last June, Turkiye, Sweden and Finland signed a tripartite agreement with both countries committing to take concrete steps against terrorists in their own nations as the Turkish government’s condition for approving their NATO bids.
It was just several months ago that the Turkish president announced that Sweden had not fulfilled its obligations under that agreement but that Finland had demonstrated that it was serious about combating terrorism and that he was satisfied that Finland had fulfilled its commitment. Erdogan’s complaint about Sweden stems in part, from Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s refusal to extradite some people that he considers FETO members. One of those is Bulent Kenes, former editor-in-chief of the now defunct English language newspaper Today’s Zaman. Erdogan has claimed that Kenes was a member of FETO. Meanwhile, Kristersson commented at a recent press conference that Sweden would not and could not carry out such a request from the Turkish government and that Sweden had done its utmost to fulfill the agreement.
In addition, Sweden’s NATO bid now teeters on a precipice ever since Kristersson permitted the burning of a Koran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm two weeks ago which drew the condemnation of multiple countries and the outrage of Turkish officials, especially Erdogan. The most recent Koran burning that took place in Copenhagen, Denmark outside a mosque, was also roundly condemned with Jewish and Christian leaders in Denmark denouncing extreme-right Swedish-Danish politician Rasmus Paludin who burned both Korans. Religious leaders in Denmark said that burning sacred books does not demonstrate a freedom of expression with top Turkish officials branding the burnings as a “hate crime.” Denmark’s Chief Rabbi Jair Melchior said of Paludan: “A demented extremist like Paludan should not be given any attention. I have great respect for Muslims in Denmark for not responding to his provocations.”
