NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday that the time has come turkey verify applications by Finland And Sweden To join the Defense Alliance.
Stoltenberg was speaking at a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara this week after German Foreign Minister Annalena Bierbock said she hoped all NATO members would ratify the bids “without any further delay”.
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Finland and Sweden applied to join which of the following North Atlantic Treaty Organisation? of Russia The invasion of Ukraine last February and their membership bids have been ratified by all allies except Hungary and Turkey.
Turkey is widely seen as the main hold-up, with President Tayyip Erdogan indicating that his country may ratify Finland’s application while not moving forward with Sweden.
Turkey says Sweden harbors members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is seen as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and others.
Last month Turkey suspended talks with Sweden and Finland on their applications after a protest during which Rasmus Paludan, leader of Denmark’s far-right political party Hard Line, burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm .
Stoltenberg described the Koran burning protests as “a disgraceful act” and said the Swedish government demonstrated a strong position against the protests that should be commended.
“To me, this shows that Sweden and Finland understand and are implementing policies that recognize the concerns expressed by Turkey. And that is why I think the time has come to ratify,” They said.
Cavusoglu reiterated Turkey’s position that it could separately evaluate Finland’s and Sweden’s bids to join NATO.
Acknowledging that Sweden had changed its law on terrorism in line with Turkey’s demands, Cavusoglu said the changes should be fully implemented.
Stoltenberg, who later met Erdogan in Ankara before leaving for southern Turkey to visit quake-hit areas, said the fight against terrorism would be high on the agenda at a NATO summit in Vilnius in July.