Sweden, Finland push ahead with NATO bids

STOCKHOLM — Sweden and Finland on Tuesday pushed ahead with their bids to join NATO even as Turkey insisted it won’t let the previously nonaligned Nordic countries into the alliance because of their alleged support for Kurdish militants.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongly worded objections caught the two applicants and other NATO members off guard, complicating what was envisioned to be a swift expansion of the alliance in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Turkey’s statements have changed very quickly and hardened in recent days. But I am sure that we will resolve the situation with constructive talks,” Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said during a visit to Stockholm, the Swedish capital.

Niinisto said he spoke to Erdogan in April “and it was crystal clear that he was supportive, and he said that the Finnish membership should be assessed favorably. Now it seems that there are different opinions. We must continue to discuss.”

The Finnish parliament on Tuesday resoundingly rubber-stamped the government’s decision to seek membership in a 188-8 vote. The countries’ foreign ministers signed formal application letters to be handed over jointly today at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

But Erdogan’s objections on Friday and again on Monday raised questions about how quickly the application process could advance, as unanimity among all 30 NATO countries is required for new members to join. The Turkish leader accused the Nordic countries of giving safe haven to “terrorists” and imposing sanctions on Turkey — an apparent reference to the suspension of Swedish and Finnish weapons exports in 2019 after Ankara sent troops into northern Syria to attack Kurdish fighters.

Erdogan also dismissed a Swedish plan to send a team of diplomats to Turkey to discuss the issue, saying “don’t wear yourselves out.”

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said Sweden is still seeking contact with Turkey to “sort out the question marks.”

“We are looking forward to having a bilateral dialogue with Turkey but also having bilateral dialogues with other NATO countries during this process,” she said.

Turkey’s objections appeared to have come as a surprise also in Washington, whose relations with Ankara have been strained in recent years. The U.S. suspended Turkey from its F-35 fighter jet program over Turkey’s decision to purchase a Russian missile defense system.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was traveling to New York for meetings today with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Joining NATO would be a huge shift for the two Nordic countries. Sweden has stayed out of military alliances for more than 200 years, while Finland adopted neutrality after being defeated by the Soviet Union in World War II.

Russia has repeatedly warned its Nordic neighbors that their joining the alliance would have negative repercussions. The Swedish prime minister warned citizens to brace themselves for potential disruptive moves by Russia, including disinformation and attempts to intimidate and divide the country.

European officials expressed hope that Turkey’s objections to Finnish and Swedish membership in NATO could be overcome.