RT.com
15 May 2022, 04:16 GMT+10
Ankara is ?not closing door? to the countries, but concerns about ?terrorism? must be addressed, Turkish presidential aide said
Turkey is not seeking to outright shoot down the accession of Sweden and Finland to the US-led NATO alliance, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's top adviser Ibrahim Kalin told Reuters in an exclusive interview on Saturday. Nonetheless, Ankara's concerns about organizations it deems to be "terrorist" that are operating in these countries must be addressed, the official said.
"We are not closing the door. But we are basically raising this issue as a matter of national security for Turkey," Kalin clarified.
The official further elaborated on the position voiced by Erdogan on Friday, when the president said Ankara could not support the bids of Finland and Sweden, which are "like guesthouses for terrorist organizations." To get into the alliance, a potential member must get the support of all NATO member countries.
Kalin explained that Ankara is particularly concerned about the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), recognized as a terrorist organization in Turkey, as well as in the EU and the US. The issue relates primarily to Sweden, the official went on.
"What needs to be done is clear: they have to stop allowing PKK outlets, activities, organizations, individuals and other types of presence to...exist in those countries," Kalin said. "Of course we want to have a discussion, a negotiation with [our] Swedish counterparts."
The PKK has been an enemy of Turkish authorities for decades already, with the group waging low-intensity insurgency in Kurdish-populated areas of the country's southeast. Ankara also regards Kurdish-led militias in neighboring Iraq and Syria, including the US-propped Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as offshoots of the PKK and treats them as "terrorists" as well. Turkey has repeatedly staged incursions into those neighboring countries to fight Kurdish militants over the past few years.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Dublin News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Dublin News.
More InformationSEATTLE, Washington: Following the decision of McDonald's, Seattle-based Starbucks said this week that it will exit the Russian market after ...
SYDNEY, NSW, Australia - Stocks in Asia were stronger across the board on Friday, following a two-day surge on Wall ...
ANKARA, Turkey: The Turkish lira dropped 1 percent in value for an eighth consecutive session to beyond 15.65 against the ...
SHANGHAI, China: Tesla plans to restore production at its Gigafactory 3 plant in Shanghai to pre-COVID-19 lockdown levels by this ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rose sharply for a second day Thursday, following a less hawkish outlook by ...
DETROIT, Michigan: As supplies of new cars and light trucks remain tight due to supply chain issues, U.S. consumers are ...
LONDON, England: A joint declaration to boost defense and security collaboration was signed between Britain and Lithuania this week. London ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The market for global online tutoring services is expected to grow from $21 million in ...
LONDON, England: The UK's Telegraph newspaper has reported that Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has proposed that Britain send modern weaponry ...
KYIV, Ukraine: Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, told lawmakers in Kyiv this week that Ukraine has the right to decide ...
MOSCOW, Russia: In the latest escalation of an energy payment dispute with Western nations, Russia's Gazprom has halted gas exports ...
ATHENS, Greece: In a significant move for Greece, which has intensified its campaign to bring back sculptures from its most ...