But what game is Turkey playing? Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that he does not see Finland and Sweden joining NATO in a positive light. According to him, bringing these two countries into NATO would amount to repeating a mistake, that of Greece’s entry into the organization.
Comparing Greece to Finland and Sweden does not bode well. Because Greeks and Turks hate each other. In addition, Erdogan adds, both countries harbor members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Here we are. Turkey is suspected of carrying out genocide in Kurdistan. Erdogan therefore seeks to break the support of the Swedes and Finns for the Kurds against his support for the entry of the two countries into NATO
1. Can Erdogan alone block the candidacy of Sweden and Norway?
In theory, Erdogan can block the entry of the two countries into NATO. But Erdogan is playing a dangerous game. His government previously broke an unspoken convention of the alliance. It bought Russian-made S-400 missiles, rather than buying missiles from other NATO countries. In addition to the problems of compatibility with NATO armament posed by these missiles, it is obvious that Turkey is in a delicate situation of dependence on Russia. A situation that would be untenable in the event of an open conflict between NATO and Russia.
2. Is Turkey playing its role well in NATO?
Turkey played its role as an ally well in preventing Russian warships from crossing the Bosphorus Strait when the war in Ukraine broke out. Turkey is a very important player in the NATO system. Unfortunately, its leaders are moving it further and further away from other European countries. First, Erdogan is a step-by-step Islamist who does not share the same values as those of other European countries. Then, Erdogan dreams of reconstituting the Turkish Empire. In a way, Putin’s methods of territorial annexation do not displease him, quite the contrary.
3. Who are the Kurds?
The world’s Kurdish population is difficult to pin down. There would be approximately 40 million Kurds in the world, including nearly 20 million in Turkey, 10 million in Iran, 7 in Iraq and 3 in Syria. Sweden would have 85,000 and Finland 15,000. The Kurds have often been victims of shared borders. They are largely responsible for the defeat of the Islamic State in the Near and Middle East. But their bravery did not win them a truly independent country. They are persecuted in Turkey by Erdogan and his supporters who accuse them of separatism and terrorism. A small part of the Kurdish population indeed supports terrorist actions.
4. How are Kurds treated in Turkey?
Kurds are treated as second-class citizens. Hatred of the Kurds is rooted in the political program of Erdogan and his party. The Kurdish question in Finland and Sweden could even become an issue in the next election campaign, since Erdogan has lost a lot of support among his voters.
5. What is the relationship between Vladimir Putin and Erdogan?
Relations between the two men seem excellent, especially since Turkey decided to buy Russian weapons. But Erdogan, like many other leaders, does not want to associate himself too closely with a loser.
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