RT.com
15 May 2022, 04:16 GMT+10
Ankara is ?not closing door? to the countries, but concerns about ?terrorism? must be addressed, Turkish presidential aide said
Turkey is not seeking to outright shoot down the accession of Sweden and Finland to the US-led NATO alliance, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's top adviser Ibrahim Kalin told Reuters in an exclusive interview on Saturday. Nonetheless, Ankara's concerns about organizations it deems to be "terrorist" that are operating in these countries must be addressed, the official said.
"We are not closing the door. But we are basically raising this issue as a matter of national security for Turkey," Kalin clarified.
The official further elaborated on the position voiced by Erdogan on Friday, when the president said Ankara could not support the bids of Finland and Sweden, which are "like guesthouses for terrorist organizations." To get into the alliance, a potential member must get the support of all NATO member countries.
Kalin explained that Ankara is particularly concerned about the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), recognized as a terrorist organization in Turkey, as well as in the EU and the US. The issue relates primarily to Sweden, the official went on.
"What needs to be done is clear: they have to stop allowing PKK outlets, activities, organizations, individuals and other types of presence to...exist in those countries," Kalin said. "Of course we want to have a discussion, a negotiation with [our] Swedish counterparts."
The PKK has been an enemy of Turkish authorities for decades already, with the group waging low-intensity insurgency in Kurdish-populated areas of the country's southeast. Ankara also regards Kurdish-led militias in neighboring Iraq and Syria, including the US-propped Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as offshoots of the PKK and treats them as "terrorists" as well. Turkey has repeatedly staged incursions into those neighboring countries to fight Kurdish militants over the past few years.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Irish Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Irish Sun.
More InformationBELGRADE, Serbia: Belgrade was paralyzed this week by a series of bomb threats, including against schools, bridges, restaurants and a ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: In a tweet this week, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos criticized President Joe Biden for the second time in ...
TEHRAN, Iran: According to social media posts, protests that began last week across Iran over a reduction in state subsidies ...
BEIJING, China: China's Foreign Ministry rebuked the U.S. for changing the wording about Taiwan on the State Department website, stressing ...
VATICAN CITY: While recovering from knee problems that have forced him to use a wheelchair last week, Pope Francis announced ...
SIALKOT, Pakistan - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that a plot to kill him was being hatched, ...
BELGRADE, Serbia: Belgrade was paralyzed this week by a series of bomb threats, including against schools, bridges, restaurants and a ...
MADRID, Spain: In a coordinated move last week, Spain and Portugal approved a temporary cap on natural gas prices.The move ...
BERLIN, Germany: Citing Interior Ministry data, Welt am Sonntag newspaper has reported that more than 700,000 people fleeing the war ...
DOLNI MORAVA, Czech Republic: The world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge has opened at a mountain resort in the Czech Republic. ...
ZAGREB, Croatia: Croatian lawmakers have voted to allow the introduction of the euro currency in 2023. Lawmakers voted 117-13 to ...
DUBLIN, Ireland - Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has condemned "disgraceful scenes of police brutality" at the funeral of Al Jazeera ...