https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-news-live-turkey-will-not-approve-finland-and-swedens-nato-bids-ukrainian-fighters-leave-azovstal-steel-plant-in-buses-10-civilians-killed-by-russian-shelling-in-eastern-city-12541713

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will not approve
Finland and Sweden's bid for NATO membership.

In a news conference today, Mr Erdogan said Swedish and Finish
delegations "should not tire themselves" by coming to Ankara to convince
the country to approve their NATO application.

He went on to call Sweden a "hatchery" for terrorist organisations,
adding it had terrorists in its parliament.

"Neither of these countries have a clear, open attitude towards
terrorist organisation," Mr Erdogan said.

"How can we trust them?"

The Swedish foreign office said earlier that senior representatives of
Sweden and Finland plan to travel to Turkey for talks to address
Ankara's objections.

Speaking about the planned visit, Mr Erdogan said: "They are coming to
Turkey on Monday. Are they coming to convince us? Excuse me but they
should not tire themselves."

Turkish authorities say Sweden and Finland harbour people it says are
linked to groups it deems terrorists, namely the Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK) militant group and followers of Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara
accuses of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt.

On Mon, 16 May 2022 22:34:31 +0100
TWP <ngspammersad@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Turkish authorities say Sweden and Finland harbour people it says are
> linked to groups it deems terrorists, namely the Kurdistan Workers
> Party (PKK) militant group and followers of Fethullah Gulen, whom
> Ankara accuses of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt.

They do. The PKK and associated groups are also deemed a terrorist group by the US and EU.

It's hard to see how Sweden or Finland could join NATO unless they also agree with that designation and start extraditing such terrorists. Turkey are quite right to insist upon that.

The US by rights should too. But as always it's okay when we turn a blind eye to terrorists and terrorism, not when others do.

I can't see Turkey relenting. They will likely want to see Sweden and Finland extraditing the terrorists they've been after for a while before even contemplating not vetoing.

Sweden and Finland should have realised that surrendering neutrality meant giving up certain freedoms they might not like to. If they haven't made an informed decision they're going to be in for quite a surprise.

Islamic State and friends have generally considered them a low-profile target. That won't be so once they are in NATO.

TWP wrote:
> https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-news-live-turkey-will-not-approve-finland-and-swedens-nato-bids-ukrainian-fighters-leave-azovstal-steel-plant-in-buses-10-civilians-killed-by-russian-shelling-in-eastern-city-12541713
>
>
>
> Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will not approve
> Finland and Sweden's bid for NATO membership.
>
> In a news conference today, Mr Erdogan said Swedish and Finish
> delegations "should not tire themselves" by coming to Ankara to convince
> the country to approve their NATO application.
>
> He went on to call Sweden a "hatchery" for terrorist organisations,
> adding it had terrorists in its parliament.
>
> "Neither of these countries have a clear, open attitude towards
> terrorist organisation," Mr Erdogan said.
>
> "How can we trust them?"
>
> The Swedish foreign office said earlier that senior representatives of
> Sweden and Finland plan to travel to Turkey for talks to address
> Ankara's objections.
>
> Speaking about the planned visit, Mr Erdogan said: "They are coming to
> Turkey on Monday. Are they coming to convince us? Excuse me but they
> should not tire themselves."
>
> Turkish authorities say Sweden and Finland harbour people it says are
> linked to groups it deems terrorists, namely the Kurdistan Workers Party
> (PKK) militant group and followers of Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara
> accuses of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt.

I'd like to see a vote to kick turkey out of NATO, would be unanimously
expelled.
Obviously the shameless rag head, who has multiple times threatened to
unleash hoards of border bashing muslims on Europe unless they pay him a
huge ransom, is playing the same game here.
Pay up, and he'll have a change of heart. Maybe some free F-35's, which
Trump banned him from for snuggling up to Putin, will lube him up enough.

--
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for
light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

On Mon, 16 May 2022 22:59:41 -0400
JeSSe <zo@so.org> wrote:

> Obviously the shameless rag head, who has multiple times threatened
> to unleash hoards of border bashing muslims on Europe unless they pay
> him a huge ransom

In 2015-16 the EU promised to pay Turkey to hold four million refugees, mostly Syrian, so they didn't make their way into other EU countries. This limited the 'immigrant wave' the EU was enduring to around 1 million rather than 5 million.

The EU however failed to pay what they had promised. Turkey, not unreasonably said, if you pay up I will hold them, if not I won't, will let them go.