“The sooner our counterparts accept this fact, the healthier the process will be,” Erdogan said following a cabinet meeting in Ankara, adding that his country defends the same demands and principles as last year advising Stockholm “to do their homework better”.
Sweden and Finland last year reversed their decades-long tradition of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unanimous approval is required by alliance members and Turkey has used this as leverage to pressure the Nordic countries to counter Kurdish groups it considers “terrorists” in exchange for Ankara’s yes on the accession.
“We want it to be known that we will not take a step back until these [demands] are achieved," Erdogan said.
In April, Turkey ratified Finland’s bid but blocked Sweden’s, claiming that Stockholm has failed to address Ankara’s “terror” concerns.
While Sweden has tried to address security concerns with law amendments, a Quran-burning incident in Stockholm presents a new impediment.
An Iraqi refugee on Wednesday stomped on and burnt a copy of the holy Quran in front of a mosque in the Swedish capital Stockholm which drew the ire of the Islamic world, including Turkey. Sweden authorized the protest under the principle of freedom of expression.
“We have clearly stated that the resolute fight against terror organizations and Islamophobia is our red line,” Erdogan said.
NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday called the Quran burning incident “offensive” but not illegal.
“I understand the emotion and the depth of feeling this causes and actions are taken that are offensive and objectionable are not necessarily illegal in sovereign legal systems,” Stoltenberg said.
“What is important for me is that we have to make progress on finalizing the accession of Sweden into the Alliance,” he added.
Erdogan’s comments come as the foreign ministers of both countries are set to meet on Thursday in a new round of negotiations, as Sweden hopes to convince Ankara to ratify its bid before the scheduled NATO leaders summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week.
