International
Finnish president doubts NATO row with Turkey
Finnish president doubts NATO row with Turkey
Finnish President, Sauli Niinistö said that he doubts the dispute with Turkey over Finland and Sweden joining NATO will be resolved before the military alliance holds its upcoming leaders’ summit in Madrid.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday with EU Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, Niinistö said that even if Turkey was not shifting its position, it was still progress that the countries were negotiating with each other.
Sweden and Finland applied for membership in the defence alliance in mid-May.
However, Turkey is currently the only NATO member blocking the start of the admission process for the two countries.
Ankara justifies its stance by arguing that Finland and Sweden support “terrorist organisations’’ such as the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Meanwhile, the NATO summit will begin in Madrid on June 29.