Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan . File photoANKARA, May 23. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan promised to fulfill «depending on Turkey» on the membership of Sweden and Finland in NATO, subject to specific changes on issues that worry Ankara. The Financial Times wrote that Turkey blocked start of the process of consideration of the application for accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO. Erdogan said that Ankara cannot say «yes» to the membership of Finland and Sweden in NATO, because it cannot believe their assurances about relations with representatives of the Kurdistan Workers' Party banned in Turkey. If Turkey agrees, NATO, according to Erdogan, «will not be a security organization, but will become a place where there will be many representatives of terrorists.» Countries cannot be accepted into the alliance without the unanimous approval of all its members. «I emphasize once again: those who support and protect terrorists must reconsider their illegal, arrogant stance, which they show towards us. If we see concrete changes on issues that worries us, let no one doubt that we will do our best,» the Turkish leader said in his address to the people after the cabinet meeting.
Erdogan does not consider Turkey's position on NATO expansion hostile to the alliance
