The Turkish president told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Ankara will not look favorably on the membership of Finland and Sweden in the Alliance, if they do not cooperate in the fight against terrorism and on other issues.
The Turkish Presidency also stated in a statement that Erdogan supported the open door policy.
In a post on Twitter that followed the talks between the two leaders, Stoltenberg said that the security concerns of all NATO members must be taken into account and that talks must continue in order to find a solution, reports Reuters.
He told the leaders of Sweden and Finland what he expected from them
Today, the Turkish president told his Finnish colleague Sauli Ninisto that not sanctioning terrorist organizations that pose a threat to NATO members is not in the spirit of the Alliance.
In a telephone conversation, Erdogan also said that Ankara expects support from Helsinki for its fight against terrorist organizations that pose a threat to national security and its people.
He previously informed Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson that Ankara expects concrete steps due to the country's connection with terrorist organizations.
In a telephone conversation, Erdogan added that the embargo on arms exports to Turkey, which Sweden supported after the entry of the Turkish army into Syria in 2019, should be lifted, Reuters reports, referring to Anatolia.
Ankara claims Sweden and Finland support the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group and followers of Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.
Turkey surprised NATO allies last Sunday by opposing the admission of Finland and Sweden to the organization, but Western leaders have expressed confidence that Ankara's objections will not stand in the way of that happening.
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