Helsinki’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto has called for a “time-out” in talks between Finland and Sweden and Turkey about joining NATO. This comes after a series of controversial protests in Sweden, which included the burning of a Quran, angered Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As Turkey is already a member of NATO, it has the power to block applications to join. The demonstrations have clearly put a “brake on the progress” of the negotiations, according to Mr. Haavisto. He insisted that the Nordic countries would join the bloc together, and saw no need to rush negotiations. Talks between the countries have been stalled due to a number of issues, including Turkey’s demands that the Nordic nations deport those it views as terrorists, and they are expected to be put on hold until after Turkish elections in mid-May.
Additionally, Turkey has called on Sweden to distance itself from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US, and the EU. Turkey also wants other political concessions, including the deportation of critics of Mr. Erdogan, and Kurds that it claims are terrorists. The pressure of the upcoming elections in Turkey has caused discussions to become “heated” within the country, and the government may be taking a more hardline stance, according to Mr. Haavisto.
