ANKARA, Jan 25 The Turkish Security Council stated that Ankara supports NATO's «open door» policy, but those wishing to join the alliance should follow the rights and spirit of the alliance.
The Security Council, chaired by President Erdogan, discussed the situation around Sweden's membership in NATO and the normalization of relations with Syria for 3 hours and 40 minutes.
«It was emphasized that Turkey supports NATO's open door policy and that states wishing to join the alliance must act in accordance with the law and spirit of the alliance. It was stated that it is essential that candidates fulfill their obligations arising from the memorandum on mutual understanding on the fight against terrorist organizations, especially the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK/KCK-PYD/YPG) banned in Turkey and FETÖ (the organization of the Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, with whom Ankara associates the coup attempt in 2016
Relations between Sweden and Turkey have worsened due to the protests of the past few days in Stockholm and the burning of the Koran by the leader of the Danish far-right Hard Deal party Rasmus Paludan after receiving permission from the Swedish authorities to hold the action. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on January 23 that Sweden should not count on Turkish support for its application to join NATO. to the alliance. At the moment, the applications of Sweden and Finland to NATO have not been ratified by only two countries out of 30 — these are Hungary and Turkey.