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Erdogan opposes NATO membership for Sweden and Finland – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not support the decision of Sweden and Finland to seek NATO membership. Agence France-Presse reports.

Erdogan says that would be a “mistake”. Turkey itself has been a member of NATO since 1952.

– We are following developments with regard to Sweden and Finland, but we do not look at them positively, says Erdogan in a live broadcast.

For a new country to become a member of NATO, all 30 member states must agree to the application.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on their way to a press conference.

Until now, neither Sweden nor Finland wanted NATO membership. But when Russia invaded Ukraine, the whole debate began.

Photo: Paul Wennerholm / AP

The foreign ministers of Finland and Sweden are discussing the matter with the foreign ministers of Turkey in Berlin on Saturday. And other reports between Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

US President Joe Biden spoke by phone on Friday with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, the White House said.

Perhaps the topic of conversation was the potential applications of the two countries in NATO, as well as the proposal of the President of Turkey.

Erdogan is very powerful

– I thought this could happen.

That is the view of Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv, professor of security studies at the University of Tromsø.

What power does Erdogan have to prevent Finland and Sweden from joining NATO?

Erdogan has a lot of power to influence him because there must be consensus among all member states to include new countries in the alliance, says Gorf.

They have the right to say no, and this is a huge challenge.

Yesterday, Finland’s leaders confirmed it You will take the country into the defense alliance.

Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv

Russia is important to Turkey, among other things economically, says Gunhild Hugensen-Georf of UiT.

Photo: UiT

– I think Turkey and Russia have had some talks since Finland made its statement yesterday, says Georf.

The professor believes that Turkey is now playing a role in preventing what Russia clearly opposes.

– I think Turkey is already acting as a tool for Russia within NATO.

– Negotiation proposal

Kate Hansen Bondt, general secretary of the Norwegian Atlantic Committee, interprets this as a negotiating proposal from Turkey.

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Turkey is likely to signal its support for Russia, says Hansen Bundt.

Photo: Yves Hermann/Reuters

– I do not stray from the fact that Turkey and Erdogan want to achieve things other than closing down Sweden and Finland, and that they want a negotiating position.

Bundt receives support from Turkey expert and UiO associate professor, Einar Wigen.

– It is clear that Turkey wants something. But what they want, and how they’ll get it and possibly get it, is still a little early to say, he tells NTB.

Russia cuts off energy supplies

On Friday afternoon, it was announced that Russia’s electric utility company RAO would halt its export of electricity to Finland. The company reports itself in ei press release.

– We are forced to stop importing electricity from May 14, RAO Nordic, a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned energy company Inter RAO, informed us.

The company claims that it has not received electricity wages since the beginning of May.

Espen Barth Eddy, Minister for Climate and Environmental Protection, told NRK that energy policy is now an important part of security policy in Europe.

Energy is used in conflict in both directions. Europe is phasing out Russian oil and gas. Now Russia wants to isolate the countries it loves the least, and they are now upset that Finland has applied for membership in NATO, Eide says.

Støre: – You don’t want to speculate

– I am critical of this scheme. Both Finland and Sweden are openly eligible for membership, and we have our NATO agreement on that.

This is what Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told NRK on Friday afternoon. He adds that he was surprised by what Erdogan said.

– We have not seen a signal from Turkey about this before. As I understand, there has been a positive attitude towards membership on Erdogan’s side, so far, says Store.

He does not want to speculate what Erdogan wants to achieve with the outcome. When asked if Erdogan has the right to suspend membership, President Storr said it creates uncertainty now.

Prime Minister JGS sitting in front of a dark red curtain.  He carefully places his head in his right hand.  He was dressed in dark clothes and a white shirt sticking out around his neck and wrist.  He has a small microphone attached to his face.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said he was surprised by Erdogan’s move.

Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB

Erdogan has blamed Scandinavian countries for supporting the hardline Kurds and other groups Turkey claims are terrorists.

Erdogan said that the Scandinavian countries are like a guesthouse for terrorist organizations.

Store does not want to go into Erdogan’s statements about terrorist organizations.

It sounds like a totally baseless claim, he says.

Erdogan also said that it was a mistake to agree to Greece’s request to NATO in 1952. He claimed that they used the defensive alliance against Turkey.

Turkey will not repeat such a mistake.

– good hopes

On the other hand, Swedish Foreign Minister Anne Linde is not too concerned about Erdogan’s proposal. You think Turkey is trying to take advantage of the situation.

– But there is also a strong desire in many countries for Sweden and Finland to become members of NATO, because we contribute to security in the Baltic Sea region, says Linde Swedish Radio.

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The leaders of NATO member states met on March 24 this year. Erdogan is on the far right in the front row.

Photo: John Theis/AFP

Linde says she has “good hopes” that all 30 countries will agree to NATO’s request.

– I think we will get very strong support from the big and important member countries – with which Turkey is also interested in having a good relationship.

Several European countries announced their support for Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Among others, Norway, Iceland and Denmark are working on a joint declaration in support of the security of Sweden and Finland after they have applied for membership, write VG.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has welcomed Finland into NATO, and the victory will be quickly recorded.

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