Turkish leader threatens to block NATO expansion
Turkey doesn’t favor Sweden and Finland joining NATO, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Istanbul on Friday, potentially dashing the two countries’ hopes of a quick accession to the military alliance.
Erdogan cited concerns over the presence of “terrorists” in both countries. A senior Turkish official later said Ankara wants Sweden and Finland to take a clear stand against supporters of a Kurdish militant group. Turkey plans negotiations over NATO membership for Sweden and Finland.
Any enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization requires unanimous approval of the alliance’s members. Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952.