Delegations from both Finland and Sweden travelled to Ankara on Wednesday to begin negotiations on Turkey’s current refusal to accept the two countries’ applications to join NATO.
The delegations began negotiations at around 1 pm on Wednesday afternoon at the Turkish presidential palace and are reported to have ended the meeting by evening.
The talks are said to be attended by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal and spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Ibrahim Kalin along with Finland’s Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Jukka Salovaara and Sweden’s State Secretary Oscar Stenström.
According to Turkish media sources, no formal press conference is expected as a result of the talks but a written statement is to be released on the result of the negotiations between the three countries, broadcaster Yle reports.
After both Finland and Sweden announced they would be applying to join NATO and renounce their former status as neutral countries, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated Turkey was opposed to their application for membership due to accusations of supporting Kurdish terror groups like the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and arms embargo against Turkey.
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Prior to Wednesday’s talks, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson hit back at Turkish accusations saying, “it is clearly a question of where we send financial aid and of selling arms. We don’t send money, we don’t send weapons to terrorist organizations.”
The negotiations revolve around five key points the Turkish government listed earlier this week in a process released by the Turkish Directorate of Communications, primarily directed at Sweden.
Turkey has accused the Swedish government of supporting the YPG militia with funds and arms and claimed the militia, which has ties to the terrorist PKK, may have passed on cash to the terror group.
Earlier this week, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde addressed the five points saying, “Sweden does not provide targeted support to Syrian Kurds or to the political or military structures in northeastern Syria, but the population in these areas is, of course, taking part in these aid projects.”
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