Turkey will block Finland, Sweden from joining NATO, citing terrorism concerns

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced on Thursday that Turkey has informed its allies that it will reject Sweden and Finland’s petition to join NATO, citing terrorism concerns.  

Since Sweden and Finland announced that they would formally apply to join the U.S.-led security alliance in recent weeks, Turkey has objected – a move which shocked Western leaders as NATO continues to face down the Kremlin.

"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," Erdogan said during a Wednesday interview.

The Turkish strongman has accused Sweden and Finland of harboring and financing “terrorists” groups, namely the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and Syrian Kurdish YPG, Reuters reported.

"Sweden is already the incubation center of terrorist organizations, they bring terrorists in their parliaments, make them talk there, and issue special invitations. There are even pro-[Kurdistan Workers' Party] terrorists in their parliaments. What are we going to trust?" he said. 

The Turkish president has been accused of violating the human rights of minority groups, notably the Kurds, during his nearly two decades in power.

Erdogan warned that if Sweden and Finland join the alliance, "then NATO ceases to be a security organization and becomes a place where the representatives of terrorists are concentrated."

In March, Turkey hosted diplomatic talks between Ukraine and Russia to try to de-escalate the conflict.

Erdogan on Monday first stated his country will oppose Finland and Sweden's bids to join NATO, just one day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would support Finland and Sweden in joining the military alliance.

"First of all, we would not say ‘yes’ to those who impose sanctions on Turkey to join NATO, a security organization, during this process," Erdogan told reporters, as translated, during a press conference Monday meant to focus on relations with Algeria.