Erdogan is burying Sweden’s ambition to join NATO for the time being

First Amendment: 01/24/2023 – 11:05

With Andrés Mourenza, RFI correspondent in Istanbul

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan buried Sweden’s aspirations to join NATO. After a series of demonstrations in Stockholm in which an effigy symbolizing the Turkish president was “executed”, protests in front of the Turkish embassy with flags of the armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the burning of the Qur’an in front of the diplomatic mission, Erdogan said he would not lift his veto on Sweden’s accession to NATO, although he kept The door is open to Finland.

In other words, you let terrorist organizations run wild in your streets and then expect us to support you in joining NATO. “It will not happen,” Erdogan said.

Negotiations with Turkey have continued since last June, prompting Sweden and Finland to amend anti-terrorism laws and agree to review requests for the extradition of dozens of Turkish citizens who are refugees in these countries, but whom Ankara considers terrorists.

In general, many analysts believe that Turkey could revise its veto after next May elections in which Erdogan risks continuing as president after twenty years in power and in which polls predict a strong outcome against the opposition.

Finland should consider the option of joining NATO without Sweden, its foreign minister said for the first time on Tuesday after Turkey ruled out approving Sweden’s candidacy.

Turkey and Hungary are the only two NATO members that have not endorsed the historic decision of Sweden and Finland to break with their traditions of military non-alignment in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But in Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban promised his parliament would approve the two Scandinavian countries’ accession in February.

Turkish anger

Far-right Danish-Swedish extremist Rasmus Paludan was allowed to demonstrate in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm last Saturday, causing much anger in the Turkish government.

Amidst an important police deployment and protected by metal barriers, the anti-Islam and anti-immigration activist burned a copy of the Quran.

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin condemned the “public hate crime”.

The Swedish government reacted very cautiously to the Turkish government’s demonstrations.

“I cannot comment tonight on the statement. First I want to understand exactly what was said,” Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström told local news agency TT.

And the Swedish police considered, on Friday, that for the sake of the constitution and freedom of demonstration and expression in Sweden, the demonstration must be allowed, and that it does not pose any danger to public order.