Turkey would not support the accession of Finland or Sweden to the NATO alliance, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday citing concerns about attendance "terrorists" in both countries.
"We are following developments in Sweden and Finland, but we do not have positive views," Erdogan said and added this "The Scandinavian countries are inns for terrorist organizations."
The Turkish president has previously stated that supporters of separatist Kurdish militants fighting in the south-east of Turkey are allowed to roam freely in some parts of Europe.
"They are even MEPs in some countries. It is not possible for us to be in favor," he said.
Erdogan’s comments come after the President of Finland Sauli Niinistö and the Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) issued a joint statement on Thursday supporting Finland’s application to NATO, and a formal decision is expected in the coming days.
The application for membership of either Finland or Sweden requires the ratification of all 30 member states. Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952.
News agency Reuters reported that Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul on Friday that Greece’s admission to the alliance was a mistake.
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Source: The Nordic Page