TURKEY REJECTS LINKING NATO EXPANSION, F-16 DEAL

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday called for Sweden and Finland to be accepted into NATO “as quickly as possible,” although his Turkish counterpart dismissed the possibility of any link between their accession and Turkey’s request for F-16 fighter jets.

Turkey has delayed the Nordic countries admission to the trans-Atlantic defense alliance, citing concerns over terrorism. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers have tied approval of the F-16 deal to Ankara retracting its opposition to the NATO enlargement.

“We’re confident that NATO will formally welcome them in soon,” Blinken told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara. “And when that happens, it will enhance the security of every NATO member, including the United States, including Turkey.”

Cavusoglu repeated Turkey’s position that it would be willing to approve Finland joining NATO before Sweden. Turkey has complained about what it sees as Stockholm’s tolerance of support for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged a 39-year insurgency against Ankara.

“Unfortunately PKK supporters are still present in Sweden,” he said. “They are recruiting people and they are financing terror acts and they are carrying out terror propaganda in Sweden because they don’t want Sweden to become a NATO member.”

Cavusoglu made clear his country objects to the sale of F-16 jets being tied to ratifying the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland. Only the parliaments of Turkey and Hungary have yet to give consent.