Why we'll reject Sweden, Finland's bid to join NATO - Turkey's President, Erdogan

 

Turkey has told allies that it will reject Sweden and Finland's membership in NATO.

Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan said this in a video posted on his Twitter account on Thursday.

Recall that Finland and Sweden on Wednesday formally applied to join U.S.-led NATO, due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Erdogan, in an interview with students late on Wednesday, said, "We will continue our policy in a determined way.

"We have told allies that we will say no to Finland and Sweden's NATO membership."

The Turkish president said Sweden and Finland were harbouring and financing "terrorists" and supplying them with weapons.

The president's speech was a repetition of Ankara's accusation that the countries were supporting groups that it deems terrorists, NAN reports.

The countries include the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and the Syrian Kurdish YPG, which it also views as a terrorist group closely tied to the PKK.

"NATO is a security alliance and we cannot accept terrorists to be in it," Erdogan added.