Turkey warns against `pressure` to support Sweden`s NATO bid

Turkey warned on Tuesday (July 4) that it will not be pressured into supporting Sweden’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey said that it was still assessing whether Sweden’s entry into the world’s most powerful defence organisation would benefit the bloc or hurt it.

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“We never approve of the use of time pressure as a method,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a televised press conference.

Fidan’s comments come just two days before his upcoming meeting with his Swedish counterpart in Brussels. Both ministers will discuss Stockholm’s attempt to become the 32nd member of NATO.

Watch | Quran burning: Countries summon Swedish ambassadors | Turkey yet to ratify NATO membership bid

NATO is hoping to welcome Sweden into its fold by the time of the Summit in Lithuania which is due to be held on July 11-12.

In order to induct a new country into the alliance, unanimous approval from members is needed. Turkey and Hungary, both current NATO members, have not yet given their approval for Sweden’s bid. The countries have raised individual disputes with both, Stockholm and Brussels.

Quran burning complicates matters

Turkey has not been happy over the Stockholm police’s decision to grant permits for protests in which pages of the Quran were burned outside the Turkish embassy and mosques.

The last such protest took place on the first day of the Eid al-Adha religious holiday recently. The protests drew strong condemnation from across the Muslim world.

Fidan highlighted the incident as an example of Sweden failing to live up to commitments it made when it won Turkey’s initial backing for its application in Madrid one year ago.

“Sweden’s security system is not able to stop provocations. This is not bringing more strength but more problems to NATO,” he said.

“In terms of strategy and security, when we are discussing Sweden’s membership of NATO, it’s a question of whether it will be a benefit or a burden.”

The Swedish government has condemned the Quran burning as “Islamophobic”.

However, the government added in a foreign ministry statement that Sweden had a  “constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration”.

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Earlier, the Stockholm police said that risks associated with the Quran burning “were not of a nature that could justify, under current laws, a decision to reject the request”.

Sweden and Finland have for decades assumed the stance of military non-alignment. However, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both countries applied to join NATO.

Finland formally joined the bloc in April.

(With inputs from agencies)

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