In return for Sweden’s yes to NATO membership, Turkey, a NATO member, is demanding tougher action by the country against Kurdish activists, whom Ankara calls “terrorists”. Last Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed May 14 as the date for the parliamentary and presidential elections. Erdogan, who is seeking re-election, is under political pressure, among other things, because of how the authorities are dealing with the earthquake disaster in the country and serious economic problems in the country.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden gave up their decades-long policy of military neutrality last May and at the same time applied to join the western military alliance. “We are not hiding the fact that we would have preferred simultaneous ratification,” said Kristersson. “We believe that we are ready for ratification,” said the Prime Minister. However, his government respects the fact that Turkey decides independently whether to accept Sweden’s request.
Chancellor Scholz reaffirmed German support for the rapid NATO accession of both Nordic countries. Berlin “offered the support that one can offer with all our possibilities so that this process proceeds quickly,” said the Chancellor. Measured against the accession processes for other NATO member states, the one for Finland and Sweden is “already a fast process”.
