Turkey Opposes Finland And Sweden Joining NATO, Erdogan Says

The Turkish president said Friday that his country does not want the two Nordic countries to join NATO, as all 30 members have to approve new countries.

Turkey is following the developments with Finland and Sweden carefully, but we don't hold positive views, according to the president.

Turkey considers the two countries to be terrorist organizations because of their support for Kurdish militant groups.

Turkey has been fighting against armed Kurdish groups for decades, while some Western allies have offered continued support to the Kurds.

A senior Turkish official told the news agency that Turkey will hold negotiations over Sweden's membership, as well as a clear stance against Kurdish militant fighting in southeast Turkey.

Turkey will not allow Greece to rejoin NATO's military wing again, because Greece is trying to use NATO against Turkey, according to the Associated Press.

Turkey's opposition comes a day after the president and prime minister of Finland said they support the country's application to join NATO without delay.

PLAY Forbes Business Full Screen About Connatix Read More Read More Read More Read More Read More Read More 1/1 Skip Ad Continue watching after the ad Visit Advertiser websiteGO TO PAGE

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to new security reviews in Sweden. The security landscape has completely changed after the day Russia invaded, according to the Prime Minister of Sweden. NATO is a 30-country alliance joined together by a security agreement that says an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all allies, and requires NATO countries to provide military aid if a member country is attacked. Turkey and Greece joined NATO. The country of Finns declared independence from Russia in 1917. Russia invaded and started a year-long war in 1939 that resulted in the ceding of a quarter of its territory to Russia. Sweden has pledged to avoid military alliances for over 200 years, but an island in the Baltic Sea could be a vulnerable target if conflict broke out in the region.

What To Watch For

The Associated Press reports that Sweden will reveal on Sunday whether it will apply to join the alliance. Sweden could join NATO within days of Finland's announcement, according to the foreign minister. All 30 NATO members must approve new countries, which could make Sweden and Finland's decision difficult.

Crucial Quote

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said he expects all allies to welcome Sweden and Finland if they apply for membership. A representative for NATO did not respond to a request for comment from Forbes on Turkey's claims.

As Russia Threatens Retaliation, Europe Cheers.

The President and Prime Minister of Finland have announced their support for NATO.

Here's why Finland and Sweden might join NATO.