STOCKHOLM/ISTANBUL — Turkey has acknowledged that Sweden and Finland have taken concrete steps to satisfy Ankara’s considerations over their bids to affix NATO and the three will maintain additional conferences, Sweden’s chief negotiator within the accession course of stated on Thursday.
Sweden and Finland utilized final 12 months to affix NATO, however confronted surprising objections from Turkey which says the 2 international locations harbor members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), thought of a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies.
“We see that Turkey recognized that both Sweden and Finland have taken concrete steps in this agreement, which is a good sign,” chief negotiator Oscar Stenstrom informed a news convention at NATO headquarters after trilateral talks resumed.
“A little step forward, the talks have restarted and we have agreed that we will continue to meet and I can’t say exactly when.”
President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, stated steps taken by Sweden and Finland to deal with Ankara’s safety considerations have been constructive, however not sufficient for Turkey’s ratification of their NATO bid.
“We have once again highlighted Turkey’s security concerns and expectations,” he stated. “The steps to be taken by the countries will determine the course and speed of this issue.”
In January, Turkey suspended talks arrange as a part of a trilateral deal agreed in Madrid final 12 months geared toward smoothing Finland and Sweden’s accession course of.
The instant trigger was a protest close to the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at which a far-right politician burned a replica of the Muslim holy guide, the Koran.
But Ankara has persistently stated that Sweden specifically has didn’t implement its a part of the Madrid settlement.
Stenstrom stated Sweden had fulfilled its a part of the discount. As a part of its efforts to reassure Turkey it’s taking its fears over militants significantly, the federal government will introduce an new anti-terrorism invoice to parliament this week.
The new legislation, work on which began in 2017 after a truck was pushed into crowds in Stockholm killing 5 individuals, would criminalize “participation in a terrorist organization,” the federal government stated. — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
