Flag of Turkey. File photoMOSCOW, June 15Turkey has rejected NATO's offer to hold trilateral talks with Finland and Sweden, and a meeting tentatively scheduled for Wednesday did not take place, the Financial Times reported, citing sources familiar with the talks. the negotiations were aimed at finding solutions to the problem of Ankara's disapproval of Sweden and Finland joining the alliance. According to sources, before holding possible trilateral talks, Ankara demanded that Helsinki and Stockholm provide specific proposals to end ties with the PKK, banned in Turkey, which the Turkish side accuses them of.
Stoltenberg announced a reassessment of the timing of Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO»The trilateral meeting mediated by the alliance was «the final task … but we have not yet reached it,» the newspaper writes, citing a source in NATO.Finland and Sweden, amid the events in Ukraine, submitted applications to the NATO Secretary General to join the alliance on May 18. Turkey blocked the start of the process of considering these applications.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara cannot say yes to Finland and Sweden's membership in NATO, because he can't believe their assurances about links with representatives of the PKK banned in Turkey.
Expert explains why Finland won't join NATO without Sweden
