The Swedish Prime Minister receives his Finnish counterpart in Stockholm.
(Photo: via REUTERS)
Stockholm, Ankara Finland and Sweden want to join NATO together. This was made clear by Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson after a meeting in Stockholm on Thursday. “The path to NATO must go hand in hand,” confirmed Marin, thereby rejecting assumptions that Finland alone could join NATO.
The Swedish Prime Minister acknowledged that the Koran burning in Stockholm and other anti-Turkey protests in recent weeks have damaged the accession process. “The protest of small groups and individuals hurts us a lot,” he said.
Other nuances can be heard away from the microphones. It is becoming clear that Finland is further ahead than Sweden – and that the government in Stockholm is taking further steps to join NATO soon.
Turkey has so far refused to agree to the accession of both countries. Above all, Sweden does not meet the Turkish demands. The most important questions about the problems of Finland and Sweden joining NATO:
What is Finland’s position on a possible sole accession?
While the government in Helsinki emphasizes that it wants to join NATO together with Sweden, the mood among the population is different: A survey just published by the daily newspaper “Ilta-Sanomat” showed that 53 percent of those surveyed did not see NATO membership as a thing of the past want to make dependent on the Swedish schedule.
The government in Helsinki only wants to join NATO together with Sweden.
(Photo: via REUTERS)
A statement by Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto last week caused confusion. Finland may be forced to consider joining without Sweden if negotiations prove extremely tough. A little later he rowed back and said that joint accession was still the goal.
Where did Sweden meet Turkey?
Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer announced on Thursday that anti-terror laws will be tightened from June this year. In future, the security authorities will be able to take action against people who support terrorist organizations. The new law is a concession to Turkey.
The Turkish government has demanded the extradition of 73 members of the PKK, which is banned in the EU. Later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan added another 57 names to the list. Turkey is also demanding that support for the YPG/PYD organization and the Gülen movement be ended.
>> Read here: Erdogan is using the dispute over NATO’s northern expansion for his election campaign
In December, the Supreme Court in Stockholm stopped the Swedish government’s decision to extradite the Turkish journalist in exile Bülent Kenes. According to Ankara’s accusation, he is said to have been a co-organizer of the attempted coup in 2016. The Turkish foreign minister described the extradition stopped by the court as “very negative”. On the other hand, Sweden has made concessions to Turkey when it comes to arms deliveries. For the first time since 2019, the authority responsible for military exports approved the export of military equipment.
What is the level of support for NATO membership among voters in both countries?
In Finland, almost 80 percent of respondents are in favor of joining NATO. There is also great unity in the parties. In December last year, 68 percent of the voters in Sweden were in favor of accession. Just over 20 percent continue to reject NATO membership. In Parliament, only the Left Party is against the move.
Are there actors who want to prevent NATO accession with different actions?
Yes, the burning of the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy by a right-wing extremist politician was also planned as a protest against Sweden’s entry into NATO. The Swedish activist and journalist Chang Frick had paid the meeting fee for the right-wing extremist’s appearance. Frick later distanced himself from the burning of the Koran, but admitted that he often worked for the Kremlin-affiliated TV channel Ruptly.
Will Turkey’s resistance change after the country’s elections?
Turkey’s parliament and president are expected to be re-elected on May 14th. Head of state Erdogan is trying to get re-elected, but is partly behind his opponents. In addition, Erdogan had to realize that his popularity ratings did not increase with the NATO blockade.
The Turkish President fears for his re-election.
(Photo: via REUTERS)
The Turkish ex-diplomat and political scientist Oğuz Çelikkol argues that Ankara is not fundamentally opposed to NATO expansion or the membership of Sweden or Finland. “Instead, the government is pleading above all for support for its decades-long fight against terrorists at home and abroad.”
>> Read here: Polling on May 14 – How Erdogan now wants to prevent his deselection
At the end of January, however, Erdogan said in response to the burning of the Koran by an Islamophobic provocateur in Stockholm that Sweden could not count on Turkey’s support for joining NATO. In this respect, it is to be expected that Erdogan’s attitude will not change even in the event of an election victory. A large part of the Turkish opposition is also on the government line on the issue. Should Erdogan be voted out, it is also uncertain whether Sweden and Finland will join NATO.
Do Ankara’s close ties with Moscow influence Turkey’s decision?
Observers do not see a concrete influence. But Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has an interest in the Turkish veto – and has leverage over Erdogan. The two states are linked by an extensive network of trade relations. In addition, Russia has given Turkey a 25 percent rebate on natural gas imports; in addition, a billion advance payment for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Turkey. Money that President Erdogan can use before the elections.
What advantages does NATO have from the accession of the two countries?
The accession of the two countries would be a welcome reinforcement for NATO. Finland in particular would significantly strengthen NATO with 23,000 professional soldiers and 280,000 conscripts. The country also has 870,000 reservists. Sweden has significantly fewer active soldiers, but can boast an “unsinkable aircraft carrier”. This is the humorous name for the largest island in the Baltic Sea, Gotland. It is only around 300 kilometers from the island to the Latvian capital Riga. The island is therefore of great strategic importance for the control of the Baltic Sea and an eventual defense of the Baltic countries.
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