[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The leaders of Finland and Sweden reportedly held phone calls with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, requesting assistance for their North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership bids.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 22nd (local time), Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson revealed on Twitter that she had spoken with President Erdo?an the previous day. Although Andersson did not disclose detailed contents of the conversation, she said, "We hope to strengthen our bilateral relations, including peace, security, and the war on terror."
Finnish President Sauli Niinist? also stated that he had a "direct and open" dialogue with President Erdo?an. On Twitter, Niinist? said, "As NATO allies, Finland and Turkey have pledged mutual security, which will strengthen our relationship," adding, "Finland condemns all forms of terrorism."
The calls took place the day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged President Erdo?an to discuss Turkey's concerns with Finland and Sweden ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for next month in Madrid, Spain.
Turkey has repeatedly claimed that it cannot allow Finland and Sweden to join NATO, accusing them of supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and others. The PKK is an armed organization advocating for the separatist independence of the Kurdish people residing in southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syria. The Turkish government regards the PKK as the greatest threat to its national security.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
