The last obstacle to Finland and Sweden in NATO is eliminated. Türkiye supported their entry into the alliance

And that's what she bargained in return

The Turkish authorities supported the applications of Finland and Sweden to join NATO , the general secretary of the Alliance Jeles, Jens Stoltenberg, said on June 28. “I am glad to announce that we have an agreement that eliminates the obstacles to the entry of Finland and Sweden to NATO. Turkey, Finland and Sweden signed a memorandum that takes into account the concern of Turkey, including about the export of weapons and the fight against terrorism, ”Stoltenberg told reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid. According to the results of the summit, according to him , Finland and Sweden will receive the status of countries invited to NATO.

The report on the NATO website says that on June 28, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finland President Sauli Ninisto and Prime Minister of Sweden Magdalen Andersson met with Stoltenberg. According to the Turkish agency "Anadola", negotiations went in the mode closed to the press and lasted two hours.

The leaders of the countries agreed on a tripartite memorandum, which, as the statement of the military alliance says, solves the “legitimate problems of Turkey’s security”. The Alliance Secretary General welcomed the “constructive approach” of the parties during negotiations. The final memorandum was signed by the foreign ministers of the three countries.

Finland and Sweden decided to abandon the neutral status and join NATO after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but Türkiye opposed. Both countries submitted applications for joining NATO on May 18, but Türkiye until the last blocked the consideration of their applications. According to Bloomberg, the Turkish authorities put forward a number of conditions in which they will agree to approve the entry of Finland and Sweden. Among them, the recognition by these countries of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (RPK) by a terrorist organization, as well as the abolition of restrictions imposed on Ankara due to the purchase of Russian S-400 systems in 2019.

Türkiye accused both countries of supporting Kurdish groups. Turkish President Recep Erdogan said in May that Finland and Sweden have no “clear and open attitude to terrorist organizations”, and wondered how to trust these countries, recalls BBC News.

Finland President Sauli Ninisto in his statement published on June 28, said that in recent weeks Turkey expressed concern to the threat of terrorism. “Finland has always been serious about these problems. Finland condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. As a member of NATO, Finland will be fully committed to the documents and policy of NATO to combat terrorism, ”the Finnish president said. According to him, specific steps to join NATO will be agreed on June 29-30, "but this decision from the present is inevitable."

The Prime Minister of Sweden Magdalena Andersson said that together with Finland they signed a “very good agreement” with Turkey. According to her, at the meeting, she told Erdogan about what amendments in the Swedish legislation on terrorism will enter into force in July. “And, of course, we will continue to fight terrorism and, as members of NATO, do this in closer cooperation with Turkey,” the Swedish prime minister said.

Finland and Sweden agreed to “prevent the activities” of the Kurdistan working party and other structures that Turkey considers terrorist . This, according to the Turkish edition of the Daily Sabah, said in the memorandum, which the countries signed. Sweden and Finland also promised not to support the Syrian Kurds self -defense force (YPG) associated with the Kurdistan Workers Party, as well as the movement of the preacher Fethullah Gulen Feto.

“Finland and Sweden are most decisively reject and condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the memorandum says. The Turkish President also said that both countries agreed to remove the embargo for the supply of weapons to Turkey, which was introduced in response to the actions of Ankara in Syria in 2019.

Türkiye “received what I wanted” from negotiations with Sweden and Finland, quotes Daily Sabah the statement of the Turkish authorities.

The head of NATO in a press statement said that "not a single ally was injured from more severe terrorist attacks than Turkey, including the RPK terrorist group." “The governments of Turkey, Finland and Sweden agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism,” Stoltenberg said after the signing of the memorandum.

The NATO Secretary General said that the quick consideration of applications of Finland and Sweden should be a signal for Russia. “This is a very obvious signal for Moscow that the NATO doors are open,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Madrid (Quote for Interfax ). He noted that countries, without pressure from the outside, should decide whether they want to join the alliance.

Answering the question when Finland and Sweden join NATO, he said that “cannot predict” when this process is completed, since the agreement on their membership should ratify all 30 countries participating in the alliance. “I know that some parliaments have already begun the process, so I think that among the allies there is a strong desire to ratify (the entry of countries into NATO) as soon as possible,” he added.

The NATO summit in Madrid takes place on June 28-30. The day before its beginning, June 27, Jens Stoltenberg said that the largest military deployment in recent decades would be accepted at the summit. According to him , the number of NATO response forces will be increased from 40 thousand to more than 300 thousand people. NATO will also strengthen combat groups located on the eastern flank of the alliance to the level of brigades. Now the NATO fighting groups placed in Europe have from 1000 to 1600 military; Their increase to brigades means an increase in the number of soldiers at least by half. In addition, the alliance in the new strategic concept will designate Russia “as the most significant and direct threat of security” by NATO.