Erdoğan says Turkey doesn't support 'terrorist guesthouses' of Sweden, Finland joining NATO

Photo: AA

Turkey is following the discussion about Finland and Sweden's possible NATO membership but does not currently have a positive view, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said today (April 13).

"We are currently following developments. We currently do not have a positive position on the issue of Sweden and Finland," Erdoğan told reporters after Friday prayers in İstanbul.

Describing the Scandinavian countries as "like guesthouses of terrorist groups," he remarked, "There are supporters of terrorism in parliament. We cannot be positive about this."

Under NATO rules, any decision on enlargement must be made "by unanimous agreement," effectively giving any member the power to veto any new members.

The president also criticized the US for lifting sanctions for some parts of Syra that are controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Turkey views as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

"We do not have the luxury of ignoring terrorists. We say this to all countries that seem friendly to us," he said, urging them to "take care" with their actions. (VK)