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Turkey not positive concerning Sweden’s, Finland’s possible joining NATO — Erdogan

The Turkish president stressed that Ankara was following the development of the situation

ANKARA, May 13. /TASS/. Ankara is not positive concerning Sweden’s and Finland’s possible accession to NATO, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

"We are following the development of the situation with Finland and Sweden, but we not positive [about this matter]. Nordic countries are a guesthouse for terrorist organizations," he said, obviously referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is outlawed in Turkey.

"The previous administrations made a mistake concerning Greece and Greece’s attitude to Turkey is well-known," he noted. "We don’t want Turkey to make another mistake on this matter."

Meanwhile, Turkish political analyst and economist and former trade representative to Russia Aydin Sezer told TASS on Thursday that Ankara would veto Finland’s and Sweden’s admission to NATO being guided by considerations of its national security.

Discussions on Finland’s and Sweden’s possible accession to NATO intensified in early April. The alliance’s key members have supported the idea. Most of Finland’s parliament members have already upheld the idea of joining the bloc. Sweden is also looking at such a possibility. On May 13, an interparty analysis of the situation in the sphere of the security policy will be ready in Sweden and the ruling Swedish Social Democratic Workers’ Party (SAP) will make a decision with regards to joining NATO on May 15.