ِALBAWABA - During the NATO Summit in Madrid, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a significant announcement, expressing Turkey's full support for the membership requests of Finland and Sweden in NATO.
Ahead of the NATO Leaders Summit in Madrid, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey will support NATO membership applications for Finland and Sweden after a four-way meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg stated, "I am pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join NATO," and added that "Turkey, Finland and Sweden signed a memorandum addressing Turkey's concerns, including arms exports and combating terrorism."
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced increased cooperation between Turkey, Sweden and Finland in the fight against terrorism.
Stoltenberg also indicated that Sweden and Finland will not impose an arms embargo on Turkey, and confirmed their participation in tomorrow's summit.
Turkey had previously objected to its membership due to allegations of its support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the People's Protection Units (YPG).
US President Joe Biden also shared a congratulatory message regarding the signing of the memorandum.
Finland and Sweden support Turkey against terrorist threats in the NATO agreement
In a tripartite memorandum, Finland and Sweden pledged full support for Turkey's national security, and denounced the PKK as a banned terrorist group. They are committed to preventing the actions of the PKK, as well as the People's Protection Units/PYD and FETO terrorist organizations in Turkey. The agreement also highlights enhanced cooperation to combat terrorism.
Finland and Sweden, along with Turkey, sign a memorandum confirming that there is no arms embargo. They have established a joint mechanism for combating terrorism and organized crime, expeditiously considering Turkish extradition requests, and preventing terrorist exploitation of local laws. Turkey supports NATO's open-door policy, and supports Finland and Sweden's invitation to join the 2022 Madrid Summit.
