Turkey: Finland and Sweden have to fulfil their commitments to become NATO members

Stating that diplomacy was the art of finding or creating the points where the interests of states meet, Altun said that a memorandum was signed in Madrid between Türkiye, Finland and Sweden and that Türkiye achieved what it wanted from the negotiation process.

Recalling that Türkiye did not have any categorical objections to NATO's enlargement from the beginning of the process, Altun stated that Türkiye, however, expected a tangible commitment from countries that want to join NATO that they share the values and goals of the alliance.

Stressing that their most important expectation was the prevention of the propaganda, recruitment and financial activities of the PKK and its branch in Syria, YPG, and FETO, which attempted a coup in Türkiye and massacred 251 innocent people, Altun went on to say:

The political, financial or military assistance provided to these organizations poses a direct threat to the life and property of Turkish citizens. At the same time, we explicitly indicated that these two countries, which want to become members of NATO, the most important military alliance in history, cannot impose an arms embargo on Türkiye, which has NATO's second-largest military. Since a memorandum was signed, we understand that Finland and Sweden fully understand how serious and determined we are in the fight against terrorism.

When asked what the most challenging issue in the negotiations was, Altun noted that, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed, Türkiye approached Finland and Sweden's NATO membership from a principled and holistic perspective.

"NATO membership is a privilege, not a right"

Stating that they evaluated whether it would be favourable for Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO, of which Türkiye has been a part for 70 years, Altun said that Türkiye openly shared its expectations with these countries.

Noting that they did not consider this process as divided into separate issues, Altun said, "For instance, we would not make any concessions in a scenario where steps were taken in the fight against terrorism, but sanctions were maintained. Likewise, it was out of the question for us to show any flexibility regarding terrorism. In this respect, all issues were treated equally in the negotiations." 

When asked whether Türkiye has given up on any of its demands, Director of Communications Altun said, "No. We made quite legitimate demands. In a scenario where these demands are not met, any advancement in Finland and Sweden's membership applications could directly jeopardize NATO. There was, therefore, no question that we could not make any concessions."

Regarding the question, "Can Finland expect Türkiye to ratify its NATO membership swiftly?" Altun made the following assessments:

It is incorrect to refer to the trilateral memorandum signed in Madrid as membership. We will evaluate how well Finland and Sweden fulfil their written commitments. NATO membership is a privilege, not a right. States that want to be granted this privilege must fulfil specific requirements.

In this regard, it is crucial that the YPG and FETO, as well as the PKK, are recognized as terrorist organizations in the text. Now it is the responsibility of these two countries to keep their promises.

Altun stated the organization’s members, who present themselves to the Finnish people as victims, have shown their genuine selves over the past few months without any space for doubt.

Recalling that footage of PKK/YPG terrorist organization’s members attacking Finns appeared in Helsinki, Altun said, "It is obvious that these people do not care about Finland's interests, and they do not share your country's values. Finnish authorities must take steps both to fulfil their commitments and to safeguard its citizens from this threat."

Emphasizing that Türkiye has made clear what it expects both in official meetings and public statements and that the crucial thing in this situation is to take the necessary actions in the fight against terrorism, Altun said, "The Finnish government is responsible for determining how to implement these actions. We look at the outcome."

Noting that both Finland and Sweden have made written commitments on the extradition of terrorist organization’s members, Altun added:

"Türkiye provided the two countries' authorities with the required information regarding the terrorist organization’s members. The issue of extraditing terrorists will undoubtedly be a test of the sincerity of the involved states. Providing a shelter for those engaged in acts of violence, attempting to undermine Türkiye's constitutional order, and endangering the lives and property of innocent people would go against the spirit of the alliance." (ILKHA)