Turkey expects Sweden and Finland to take concrete action and halt what it says is their support for terrorist groups in order for Ankara to lift its objections to them joining NATO, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said
"It is not an easy process," a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Friday. "They need to take concrete steps that will be difficult. Further negotiations will continue. But a date doesn't seem very close."
Finland and Sweden formally applied to join NATO last week to boost their security in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.All 30 NATO members must approve enlargement plans. But Turkey challenged the move saying the Nordic countries harbour people linked to what it calls terrorist groups, and because they have halted arms exports to Ankara.
The Swedish and Finnish foreign ministries did not immediately reply to requests for comment on Friday. The five-hour discussions were cordial and included separate sessions between Turkish officials and counterparts from the two Nordic countries, followed by three-way talks with all parties, the second source added.
A third source told Reuters that Turkish officials downplayed prospects of reaching an agreement before the Madrid summit.Reporting by Orhan Coskun and Jonathan Spicer Editing by Daren Butler and Frances KerrySubscribe to our sustainability newsletter to make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments.
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