• Ar
  • Es
Al Mayadeen English
  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Feature
  • Videos
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Feature
Videos
Infographs
In Pictures
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Europe
  4. Turkey agrees to back Finnish, Swedish NATO membership
Europe

Turkey agrees to back Finnish, Swedish NATO membership

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 28 Jun 22:55
  • 1 Shares

Turkey, Finland, and Sweden sign a memorandum that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join the NATO alliance.

  • Turkey has agreed to support Finland and Sweden's joint membership of NATO
    Turkey has agreed to support Finland and Sweden's joint membership of NATO

Finland's President Sauli Niinisto confirmed on Tuesday that Turkey has agreed to support Finland and Sweden's joint membership of NATO, on the first day of the alliance's summit in the Spanish capital Madrid.

Niinisto said the breakthrough came after the three countries signed a joint memorandum "to extend their full support against threats to each other’s security."

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters, "I am pleased to announce that we now have an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join NATO."  

We now have an agreement that paves the way for #Finland & #Sweden to join #NATO. I thank Presidents @RTErdogan & @Niinisto & @SwedishPM for the constructive spirit that made this historic decision possible. pic.twitter.com/dCEeoNjkOl

— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) June 28, 2022

"Turkey, Finland, and Sweden have signed a memorandum that addresses Turkey's concerns, including around arms exports and the fight against terrorism," Stoltenberg highlighted.

He pointed out that NATO leaders will formally invite Finland and Sweden to join the alliance Wednesday after Turkey inked a deal to drop its objections.

BREAKING

[LIVE] 🎥 Signature ceremony with Türkiye 🇹🇷, Finland 🇫🇮 & Sweden 🇸🇪, followed by #NATO Secretary General @jensstoltenberg's press conference. https://t.co/rMZDTFH13p

— Oana Lungescu (@NATOpress) June 28, 2022

In exchange for joining NATO, what did Turkey get?

Following the signing of the memorandum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office considered that "Turkey got what it wanted" from Sweden and Finland before agreeing to back their drives to join the NATO alliance.

One request vs. a long list of conditions
While #Turkey had a long list of conditions from #Finland and #Sweden, all the two Nordic states wanted was to join #NATO.
Here's your guide to understanding on what basis the agreement was made. pic.twitter.com/Aw7Jtu7frp

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 28, 2022

"Turkey has made significant gains in the fight against terrorist organizations," said the Turkish statement.

Sweden and Finland agreed to "cooperate fully with Turkey in its fight against the PKK" and other Kurdish militant groups, said the statement.

The two Nordic countries have agreed to lift their embargoes on weapons deliveries to Turkey, which were imposed in response to Ankara's 2019 military incursion into Syria.

Erdogan's office said that Finland and Sweden agreed to abandon "the embargo in the field of the military-industrial complex" of Turkey, adding that the two countries agreed to amend their national legislation "in the field of counter-terrorism and the defense industry."

They will also ban "fundraising and recruitment activities" for the Kurdish militants and "prevent terrorist propaganda against Turkey," Erdogan's office said.

According to Ankara, Turkey "confirms its long-standing support for NATO’s open-door policy, and agrees to support at the 2022 Madrid Summit the invitation of Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO."

The statement mentioned that Finland and Sweden also agreed to cooperate with Turkey on the deportation and extradition of "terrorism suspects".

  • Turkey
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
  • Madrid
  • Nato
  • Finland
  • Sauli Niinisto
  • PKK
  • Sweden
  • Nato Alliance
  • Jens Stoltenberg

Trending Now

All
Sweden, Finland hold accession talks with NATO

Sweden, Finland hold accession talks with NATO

Most Read

David Hirsh – An asset of the Zionist regime

David Hirsh – An asset of the Zionist regime

  • Feature
  • 16 Aug
China: Will it now Toss Caution to the Wind?

China: Will it now Toss Caution to the Wind?

  • Analysis
  • 15 Aug
A US soldier sits in an armored vehicle in Manbij, northern Syria, in 2018 (AP Photo)

US troops loot 89 oil tankers from Syria, smuggle them into Iraq

  • MENA
  • 14 Aug
Dried-up Tille River in Lux, France (AP)

Climate crisis causes Tille river to become mass grave for fish

  • Europe
  • 12 Aug

Read this

All
Pink Floyd's Roger Waters demands freeing Assange at Washington rally
US & Canada

Pink Floyd Roger Waters demands freeing Assange at Washington rally

  • Today
The sun sets behind the Palais Coburg where closed-door nuclear talks take place in Vienna, Austria, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 (AP Photo/Florian Schroetter)
MENA

Israeli media: "Israel" sees nuclear deal 'bad'

  • Today
Member of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Mohammed al-Hindi
Palestine

PIJ: "Israel" stalling execution armistice terms

  • 17 Aug
In this July 23, 2013 file photo, French soldiers patrol through the central market in Timbuktu, Mali (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
Africa

Mali calls for emergency UN meeting over French 'aggression'

  • 17 Aug
Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS