Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's surprising statement linking Turkey's EU accession to Sweden's NATO membership has sparked diplomatic discussions and raised tensions ahead of the NATO summit in Lithuania. Erdogan urged Brussels to clear Turkey's path to the EU before approving Sweden's bid to join NATO, referencing previous support Turkey provided for Finland. Turkey has long advocated for EU membership, stating that it has been waiting for over 50 years and that most NATO member countries are EU members.
The strained relations between Turkey and Sweden have been exacerbated by Turkey's claims that Sweden tolerates Kurdish terror groups and far-right anti-Islam protests. Turkey had blocked Sweden's NATO accession due to ongoing disagreements between the two countries. The recent decision by Swedish authorities to permit a small Quran-burning demonstration further fueled Ankara's anger. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan condemned the decision, criticising Sweden for turning a blind eye to such actions.
Despite Erdogan's statement, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed optimism about a positive decision on Swedish membership during the Vilnius summit, leveraging the momentum of the leaders' gathering. However, the correlation Erdogan made between Turkey's EU bid and Sweden's NATO entry marked a notable shift in his approach. Critics argue that Erdogan's new demands so close to NATO's deadline indicate a significant change in the negotiation dynamics.
Some experts interpret Erdogan's statement as a negotiation tactic, with the Turkish president seizing the moment to extract maximum concessions from Western partners. The vague wording of Erdogan's request for Brussels to open the door to the EU for Turkey allows for various interpretations, ranging from upgrading the free trade agreement to political statements of support.
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