ISTANBUL, Jan 15 Sweden and Finland refused extradition to Turkey about 130 terrorists, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.
«We told Sweden and Finland: in order for your membership in NATO to be approved, it is necessary to extradite us about 130 terrorists. Unfortunately, this was not done,» Erdogan said, speaking in Mugla, his speech was broadcast on TV .
He noted that Sweden, in particular, refused to extradite the journalist Bulent Kenesh, who was sentenced to imprisonment in Turkey.
Turkish presidential envoy Ibrahim Kalin said on Thursday that progress on Sweden's admission to NATO is impossible until Stockholm puts an end to the terrorists operating in the country.
The Swedish Ambassador in Ankara was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday, where he was protested in connection with the propaganda in Stockholm of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), banned in Turkey, against President Tayyip Erdogan.
Finland and Sweden, against the backdrop of the events in Ukraine, on May 18, 2022, submitted applications to NATO Secretary General to join the alliance. At the moment, the applications of Sweden and Finland to NATO have not been ratified by only two countries out of 30 — Hungary and Turkey.