Turkish President Erdogan rejects Sweden time and time again, and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) calls for national calm so as not to stir up the mood.
What looked like a reasonably quick journey into NATO has become a long bench of foreign policy suffering.
Rasmus Paludan’s Koran burning and the hanging Erdogan doll in Stockholm became fuel for influence campaigns that affect the Swedish NATO process.
New fighter jets matter
Many observers say Erdogan is using the process to rally voters ahead of the Turkish election. But in the background there are also large, strategic interests.
Among other things, it concerns Turkey’s need for new fighter aircraft, the American F-16. But also about NATO’s need for Turkey as a shield against possible robot attacks from Iran – a state that seems to be getting closer and closer to its own nuclear weapons.
Cast:
Ingemar Adolfsson, former defense attaché in Turkey
Helin Sahin, Turkey expert at the Palm Centre
Kjell Engelbrekt, professor of political science at the Norwegian Defense Academy
Hosts: Bo Torbjörn Ek and Sara Sundberg
Producer: Karin Hållsten
Technician: Mats Jonsson
Sound from: Sveriges Radio, SVT, Reuters, Youtube.
Source: ICELAND NEWS
