Türkiye’s presidential spokesman stated Saturday that Ankara has left the door open to Stockholm’s bid to hitch NATO if it exhibits will and dedication.
“The door is not closed to Stockholm now, but how the process will progress, its pace, and when it will be completed depends on Sweden’s steps,” İbrahim Kalın stated on Turkish tv news channel NTV.
Sweden’s new authorities is “sincere and diligent in this regard. But it does not have enough instruments to take legal action,” to deal with Türkiye’s safety issues, he stated.
A constitutional modification was made in Sweden final yr and took impact in January, stated Kalın, including {that a} new counterterrorism legislation on this context will enter into power June 1.
“When they complete it in about two months, it will be possible for them to take more decisive, concrete, and fruitful steps to address our security concerns,” he stated.
The legislation will come into impact in June, stated Kalın, including that then “we’ll see how fast they can move.”
Sweden and Finland made an utility collectively however Finland has taken “a constructive stance on both the structuring of the PKK and Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the lifting of restrictions in the field of the defense industry, and the inclusion of Türkiye in programs such as PESCO within the European Union,” he stated.
The Permanent Structured Cooperation, or PESCO, is a part of the EU’s safety and protection coverage.
Finland with its constructive angle adopted a “more transparent and more fruitful stance” relating to Türkiye’s calls for, he added.
The Turkish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission accepted a invoice Thursday to ratify Finland’s NATO bid.
Meanwhile, requested concerning the sale of F-16 jets and modernization kits, Kalın underlined that the jets would strengthen not solely Türkiye however NATO.
Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he stated there’s a “very strong pro-war climate in Washington, especially in the context of the Russia-Ukraine War. They want war, they want the war to be prolonged and unfortunately, the war will continue.”
“It will continue to intensify. Of course, this is a great loss not only for Ukraine but also for the region and the world,” he stated.
Stressing the significance of the Türkiye’s makes an attempt to finish the conflict and begin negotiations, Kalın stated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made many initiatives. Ankara has at all times displayed a principled and balanced angle from the very starting.
Also, concerning the normalization of Ankara-Cairo relations, Kalın stated Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s latest go to to Egypt was “crucial and productive.
“We clearly believe that the normalization of Turkey-Egypt relations is of vital importance not only for the two countries but also for the dynamics of the region. It is also beneficial for Libya and Palestine. It is in the interest of the whole region in the fight against terrorism,” he stated.
Last June, Finland and Sweden signed a memorandum with Türkiye to deal with Ankara’s safety issues, and senior diplomats and officers from the three international locations have held numerous conferences since then to debate the implementation of the trilateral settlement.
Among the NATO members states, solely Hungary and Türkiye haven’t but ratified Sweden and Finland’s functions for inclusion in NATO.
Meanwhile, Sweden handed an anti-terror legislation final November, hoping that Ankara would approve Stockholm’s bid to hitch the NATO alliance. The new legislation, which can go into power on June 1, will enable Swedish authorities to prosecute people who assist terror organizations.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
