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.
But NATO-member Turkey said it’s going to oppose their bids, accusing Finland and Sweden of supporting the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been outlawed by Ankara.
Thanks to its veto power, Turkey has now received a strategic card, which is only drawn once in 30 or 40 years, and it must be used to make sure than not only Helsinki and Stockholm, but all NATO members, designate the PKK as a terrorist organization, Baburoglu told the Sozcu newspaper on Sunday.