Ankara maintains its opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, the office of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. The president is expected to reiterate the position to the leaders of NATO states during an upcoming summit in Spain.
Erdogan will say that “Turkey will not compromise its stance towards countries that support terrorism and terrorist organizations” during the key meeting on June 28-30, the message from his office said, as cited by Turkish media.
The office said it will hold two public events before the meeting in Madrid to clarify the stance. One will take place in Brussels on Friday while another panel will happen on the sidelines of the summit in Spain.
The two Nordic nations requested to join the US-led military bloc in late May, citing Russia’s attack on Ukraine as the reason. Previously, both nations maintained neutrality, including during the peak of the Cold War.
Moscow said Sweden and Finland were damaging their national security by seeking formal membership in an organization, which Russia perceives as hostile. Russia will adjust its military posture accordingly, Moscow warned.