Tag Archives: Turkey

Following talks in Ankara on Wednesday, Turkish government spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters that his government would not allow Finland and Sweden into the NATO alliance until Turkey’s “concrete” security concerns regarding terrorism and sanctions are met. Kalin added that Ankara will not rush to an agreement before NATO’s next …

Sweden does not finance terrorists, the country’s prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, claimed on Wednesday, responding to Turkey’s allegations. Ankara has been accusing Stockholm of arming and supporting Kurdish militias that are considered terrorists by Turkey. This stance is one of the key reasons behind Turkey’s refusal to give the green …

Ankara cannot “put aside” sanctions imposed on Turkey by Stockholm when discussing Sweden’s bid to join NATO, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. “Turkey’s vital role in NATO and other international organizations is clear. Yet we are still discussing the lifting of sanctions imposed on us by some of …

Turkey will soon launch a new military operation in northern Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. Though he did not provide any specifics, the incursion is likely to target areas held by US-backed Kurdish militias, which Turkey has already done on three occasions since 2016. “We will soon …

Turkey should take full advantage of the historic opportunity provided by Finland and Sweden’s bids to join NATO, a retired Turkish Brigadier General Naim Baburoglu has said. The two Nordic nations have applied to become members of the US-led military bloc in the wake of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. …

Finland’s top legislator has ruled out placating Turkey to win approval for the country’s NATO membership bid, saying parliament can’t change laws and extradite “innocent people” whom Ankara considers to be terrorists. Speaker of Parliament Matti Vanhanen, a former prime minister, made his comments in an interview with Finnish public …

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Ankara would be unable to refuse natural gas deliveries from its major supplier, Russia. “We get 50% of natural gas from Russia. This is a strategic issue for us, strategic relationship. We cannot break it,” he stressed while addressing a group …

Turkey has demanded that NATO respect its security concerns, and has stated that it will not accept the bids of Sweden and Finland to join NATO, as it would leave the military alliance less secure due to the two countries allegedly harboring terrorists. “We are one of the top countries …

Turkey’s list of demands for NATO and its prospective members Finland and Sweden includes the removal of sanctions imposed on Ankara over its purchase of S-400 missile defense systems from Russia, as well as re-inclusion in the F-35 advanced aircraft program, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing “three senior Turkish officials.” …

Turkey will not say “Yes” to Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership bids, the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said on Monday, adding that any attempts to persuade Ankara to change its position would be fruitless. “These countries do not have a clear unequivocal stance against terrorist organizations. Sweden is the …