Ankara doubtful of Sweden’s contribution to NATO

ANKARA

Türkiye’s top diplomat has voiced Ankara’s questions over the impact of the potential Swedish membership to NATO in terms of both security and strategic implications after the Nordic state’s inability to stop attacks against the Quran, which can create further problems for the alliance.

“In terms of strategic and security assessment, it is now more open to debate whether Sweden’s membership in NATO will be a burden or a benefit,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters at a joint press conference with visiting Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on July 4 in Ankara.

Fidan referred to Sweden’s greenlighting the burning of a Quran despite the calls of the Muslim world. The move created a massive reaction in the Muslim world. Türkiye and many Islamic countries strongly condemned Sweden.

The incident comes days before the NATO summit in which Sweden’s application will be a top issue amid Ankara’s continued concerns that the country fails to fully cooperate in the fight against terror. Sweden hopes to join the alliance before the July 11 summit of the 31 members in Vilnius.

However, Fidan recalled that Türkiye’s position is still not favorable not only because Sweden has yet to comply with the trilateral agreement Ankara, Stockholm and Helsinki signed on the fight against terrorism but also because of the inability of the Swedish security mechanism to prevent such incidents.

Fidan said Sweden’s consent for such insults against the holy symbols of Islam can cause security problems for NATO, and this causes questions over the security and strategic contribution of this country.

On a question, Fidan also said that Türkiye wants to move according to the principles. “We call on Sweden to continue its efforts and fulfill its homework just like it has been seen in Finland’s case,” he said, referring to the latter’s accession to NATO after meeting the demands tabled by Ankara.

Fidan recalled that Türkiye, Sweden and Finland will hold another meeting on July 6 in Brussels upon the invitation of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. “We will make our assessment following this meeting,” Fidan said, but rejected pressures for accelerating the Swedish approval process before the Vilnius summit.