Altun: Türkiye has traditionally supported NATO's enlargement

“It is our most fundamental right to expect the countries that we would pledge to assist in times of war not to support or tolerate organizations targeting our nationals,” Altun said.

Stating that Türkiye has traditionally supported NATO's enlargement, Altun said that they, however, were concerned about the possible memberships of Finland and Sweden. Pointing out that Türkiye is located in a dangerous and unstable region of the world, Altun continued:

“There are PKK and DAESH threats emanating from our border neighbors Iraq and Syria. At the same time, there are far-left organizations such as DHKP-C, which carried out a suicide attack on the American Embassy in 2013. Finally, there is FETO, which had infiltrated state institutions in Türkiye and ultimately attempted a coup in 2016 to seize power through anti-democratic means. We want to see concrete and permanent steps taken to prevent the activities of terrorist organizations that threaten Turkish citizens and Türkiye's security. Our President clearly and unequivocally conveyed our expectations to the President of Finland.”

Altun stated that they took a principled stance toward Finland and Sweden's NATO membership and recalled that both countries desire to be a part of the largest military alliance in history and to be under its security umbrella, whereas Türkiye has been a member of this organization for 70 years and possesses the alliance's second-largest army. Altun also added, “It is our most fundamental right to expect the countries that we would pledge to assist in times of war not to support or tolerate organizations targeting our nationals. How would you feel if a suicide attack occurred in Helsinki's Senate Square and a country that treats members of this organization as political refugees or dissidents wished to join a security organization that Finland is a part of? Therefore, the issue is a matter of principle from our perspective.”

 “The Turkish people no longer place importance on words but rather on deeds”

When asked, “In what respects do you reject Finland's response to Türkiye's expectations?” Altun replied that the Turkish people no longer place importance on words but rather on deeds. Attributing this crisis of confidence to the conduct of European allies in the past, Altun stated: “For instance, we obtained a written assurance on Cyprus from Finland, the European Union's term president at the 1999 Helsinki European Council. And then, EU authorities stated that if Greek Cypriots did not agree to the Annan Peace Plan, they could not become an EU member. However, all this was forgotten. The current situation is evident. We have expressed our concerns and how these concerns can be addressed.”

Reminding that opposition parties CHP and HDP criticized President Erdoğan's objection to Finland's NATO membership, Altun commented:

“One of the opposition parties you uttered, CHP, is a party that shares the same ideology and worldview with the Assad regime in Syria. HDP has organic ties with the PKK terrorist organization. The so-called organization's commissioners endorse the party's decisions, and its offices serve as the PKK recruiting centers. I find their accusations to be frivolous. We already very openly share our disagreements with the United States of America. We do not need to discuss the issues with the United States over Finland or Sweden. The strength, influence, and capability of Türkiye are evident. Our significance to NATO is evident. We do not expect compromises. We outline the fundamental requirements for membership.”

“We must agree that NATO members must work in full harmony to combat terrorism”

Emphasizing that they must agree that NATO membership is a privilege, not a right, Altun said, “The current problem is not because Türkiye does not comprehend Finland, but rather because Finland does not take Türkiye's security concerns seriously. Preventing the activities of a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organization that murders civilians and recruits children by force thousands of kilometers away is not an unusual request. It is a just and legitimate demand to fight against an organization involved in the coup crime in a NATO country. However, only the Finnish government can decide whether to join NATO or to protect these organizations is more important.” 

Stating that Türkiye has traditionally supported NATO's open-door policy, Altun said:

“Türkiye's concerns may not be a priority for the Finnish people. Arguments can be made that the terrorist organizations in question did not harm anyone or engage in violence in Finland. We must agree that terrorism can never be justified and that NATO members must work in full harmony to combat terrorism. Otherwise, Finland's membership could jeopardize both Türkiye's security and NATO's institutional identity.” (ILKHA)