13 Oct 2026
Erdogan: Turkey won’t support NATO membership for Sweden, Finland
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday reiterated that the country won’t support NATO membership for Sweden and Finland because they didn’t extradite terrorism suspects as was requested by Ankara.
"We asked to extradite 30 terrorists to us, they didn’t do it. You don’t extradite terrorists to us, but at the same time you expect us to support you in the matter of NATO membership," he said in a speech at a meeting of the country’s ruling party. "NATO is a security organization, so we will not say yes to an organization that is itself deprived of security."
The Turkish president also again called on the representatives of Sweden and Finland not to waste time visiting Ankara in order to gain its support in joining NATO.
The Turkish president said on May 16 that he was opposed to the entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO as these countries refused to extradite persons involved in the activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization, and said the countries lacked a clear position regarding terrorist groups. He then also advised representatives of the Scandinavian countries not to bother themselves with traveling to Ankara.
Latest news
Latest newsGeorgia’s Constitutional Court Continues Case on Banning Opposition Parties: Political Pluralism at Stake
12.Oct.2026
Azerbaijan and Iran Step Up Security Contacts Amid Hijab Protests
12.Oct.2026
Personnel Shortages Complicate Ukrainian Forces’ Rotation: Ukraine Faces Long-Term Challenges on the Front Line
11.Oct.2026
Trump Eases Sanctions on Russian Fuel After Talks with Putin: Kyiv Fears Boost to Moscow’s War Revenues
10.Oct.2026
Putin Seeks to Strengthen Russia’s Influence in the Post-Soviet Space Through the CIS
10.Oct.2026
Russia and the South Caucasus: External Pressure, Political Competition and a Crisis of Trust
10.Oct.2026
Peaceful Settlement Between Armenia and Azerbaijan: Moving from Declarations to Implementation
10.Oct.2026
Moldova Ready to Accept as Many Ukrainians as Necessary if Situation Worsens This Winter
09.Oct.2026
Turkmenistan Turns Avaza into a Regional Diplomatic Hub as Caspian, Central Asian and CIS Agendas Converge
08.Oct.2026
Romania Scrambles Spanish F-18s After Aerial Targets Detected Near Ukrainian Border
07.Oct.2026
Berlin Deepens Defence Partnership with Kyiv: Germany to Provide Ukraine with €1 Billion in Military Aid
07.Oct.2026
European Parliament Against Georgian Dream: EU Prepares New Response to Tbilisi
06.Oct.2026
Bulgarian Foreign Minister to Discuss European Security and International Law in the Netherlands
05.Oct.2026
Rheinmetall in Bulgaria: Sofia Emerges as a New NATO Defence-Industrial Hub in the Balkans
05.Oct.2026
The Cost of a Long War: Moscow Expands Spending Plans Through 2029
05.Oct.2026