“If necessary, we can send a different message regarding Finland. Sweden will be shocked when we give a different message about Finland,” said the Turkish head of state in response to a question about the two countries’ candidacy for NATO membership, in a meeting with young people, which was televised.
Thus, Ankara has hinted that it may be preparing to consider Finland’s offer separately from Sweden’s bid.
On Tuesday, Turkey indefinitely postponed a trilateral meeting that was originally scheduled for early February and was intended to raise Ankara’s objections.
On Monday, the Turkish president warned that Sweden, which Ankara already accuses of harboring Kurdish “terrorists”, could no longer count on Turkish support, after a far-right militant burned a copy of the Koran in Stockholm.
Erdogan, without referring to that incident, repeated criticism of Sweden over Turkey’s extradition requests.
“We said, ‘If you want to join NATO, you have to send us these terrorists.'” We have sent a list of 120 people, but they are mocking us and saying they changed the constitution,” he said.
Sweden and Finland depend on the approval of 30 NATO member states to join the organization.
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