President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a NATO country, says he is not a supporter of NATO membership for Sweden and Finland.
The Turkish president said that incorporating them into the Alliance would be a mistake.
“Scandinavia is like a guesthouse for terrorist organizations,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul on Friday.
A number of other NATO countries have expressed strong support for Swedish and Finnish membership. In Finland, both President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin have said that a Finnish NATO application should be made quickly.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has previously promised a speedy NATO process for Finland if they apply for membership.
“If Finland decides to apply, they will be warmly welcomed in NATO, and the application process will be quick and easy,” Stoltenberg said in a statement on Thursday.
All 30 existing NATO countries must approve new members.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
Do you have a news tip for Norway Today? We want to hear it. Get in touch at [email protected]
Be the first to comment on "Erdogan opposes Sweden and Finland joining NATO"