Sweden and Finland reaffirm support for Türkiye's anti-terror efforts in trilateral meeting

This comes following the signing of a trilateral memorandum on June 28, 2022, at the NATO summit in Madrid, which addressed Türkiye’s security concerns and paved the way for Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership.

Chaired by Akif Çağatay Kılıç, chief adviser to the president on foreign policy and security, the meeting marked the first gathering since Finland and Sweden's acceptance into the NATO military alliance. The Finnish delegation, led by Permanent State Secretary of Foreign Ministry Jukka Salovaara, and the Swedish delegation, chaired by Henrik Landerholm, national security adviser to the prime minister, were present.

Discussions focused on assessing the current state of affairs and examining future steps to fulfill the commitments set in the trilateral memorandum through specific actions. The communications office of Türkiye stated that the process has contributed to a better understanding of Türkiye's sensitivities and expectations, particularly in the fight against terrorism.

Both the Finnish and Swedish delegations reiterated their full solidarity and cooperation with Türkiye in combating "all forms and manifestations of terrorism" as defined in the trilateral memorandum. They pledged their support against threats to Türkiye, particularly from the PKK terrorist organization.

Furthermore, the delegations reaffirmed their commitment not to provide support to terrorist organizations, including PKK offshoots such as the PYD and YPG, and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), responsible for the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye.

The parties agreed to enhance cooperation at all levels between relevant institutions on issues discussed within the mechanism. Emphasizing the importance and continuity of the mechanism, the next meeting was scheduled to take place in Stockholm.

Additionally, discussions included the European security architecture, NATO's upcoming Washington Summit, conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and attacks on the holy Quran in Europe. (ILKHA)