On Monday, before he met with Putin in Iran, the Turkish President once again threatened to stand in the way of the two Nordic countries joining NATO.
"If these countries do not take the necessary steps to fulfill our conditions, we will freeze the accession process," Erdogan said in a televised address. We have a clear stance on this issue. It's up to them.
The Nordic countries have been accused of being too friendly with Kurdish militant groups by Turkey. Turkey initially said it wouldn't allow Sweden and Finn to join the alliance. All current NATO members need to agree on NATO expansion. Turkey dropped its objections after reaching an agreement with two other countries.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said at the time that Turkey, Finland and Sweden had signed a Memorandum of Understanding that addressed their concerns.
NATO invited both Nordic countries to join in June after Turkey dropped its objections. The next step in the process is for the legislatures of all 30 members to approve the accession.
One of the most significant consequences of Putin acting on his imperialistic ambitions was the move by Sweden and Finland to join NATO. Russia's war has brought the West together.
NATO's unity has been exposed by the autocratic leaders who hold sway in the alliance.
After meeting with Putin and Raisi in Iran on Tuesday, Erdogan once again zeroed in on Kurdish militant groups.
Turkey's president said during a press conference that militias cause trouble for both Iran and Turkey. He said that we should fight against the terrorist groups together.
The Russian military exerts heavy influence over the Kurds in Syria. The US and other Western countries have cooperated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Force. This has increased tensions between Ankara and the West, and it's an issue at the heart of Erdogan's threats.
While in Iran, Erdogan was expected to urge Putin to allow grain exports from Ukraine in order to alleviate a global food crisis caused by Russia's blockade on Ukrainian ports. Europe's breadbasket, Ukraine, is a major exporter of wheat, sunflowers oil, and corn.
The EU has decried Russia's blockade on Ukrainian food exports as a "war crime," as experts warn that the Kremlin is trying to provoke famine in poorer countries as part of its strategy to win its unprovoked war in Ukraine. The situation on Ukraine is blamed by the Kremlin on the sanctions.
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met in Istanbul last week to discuss grain exports from the country. During their meeting in Tehran, Putin thanked Erdogan for his mediation. Putin told his Turkish counterpart that they had moved forward with his mediation. The fact that there is movement is a good sign.
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