Erdogan opposes Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership

He has indicated that Turkey could use its status as a member of the Western military alliance to veto the two countries’ accession.

“We are closely following the developments regarding Sweden and Finland, but we are not in a favorable opinion,” Erdogan told reporters.

The Turkish leader explained his opposition by citing the alleged support of Sweden and other Scandinavian countries for Kurdish militants and others that Turkey considers terrorists.

He also accused Greece, a NATO ally, of using the alliance against Turkey, saying Ankara did not want to repeat that “mistake”.

Erdogan did not say directly that he would block any accession efforts the two Nordic countries could make, but NATO makes all its decisions by consensus, meaning each of the 30 member states has a possible veto on who can be joined.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that Finland and Sweden, if they formally apply to join the world’s largest security organization, will be welcomed with open arms.

The accession procedure can be done within “two weeks”, said some NATO officials, although it may take about 6 months for member states to ratify the membership protocol.

Meanwhile, a report by the Swedish government on the changing security situation facing the Nordic country after the Russian invasion of Ukraine says Moscow would react negatively to Sweden’s membership in NATO and launch some countermeasures.

The analysis of the Swedish government’s security policy, which will be used as a basis for Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s cabinet to decide whether to seek membership in the Western military alliance, was presented to Swedish lawmakers on Friday.

Sweden’s ruling Social Democratic Party, led by Andersson, is expected to announce its decision on Sunday.

The report noted that NATO membership brings with it a number of advantages for Sweden – most notably the collective security provided by the 30-member military alliance. At the same time, he lists numerous tactics that Russia is likely to take in retaliation.

These will include cyber and various hybrid attacks, violations of Swedish airspace or territorial sea. Other aggressive behaviors including strategic nuclear weapons signaling are also imaginable by Moscow, the report said.

The report notes that Russia’s war in Ukraine limits the chances of attacking other countries, but that Russia still has the capacity for a limited number of hostile measures against countries like Sweden.

The report does not make recommendations on whether Sweden should join NATO or not. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told lawmakers in the Riksdagen legislature that “an armed attack on Sweden cannot be ruled out” and noted the security guarantee that NATO membership would provide.

The president and prime minister of Finland’s Nordic neighbor said on Thursday that they were in favor of a speedy application for NATO membership, paving the way for the country to formally announce its membership bid in the coming days.

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