What Turkey wants: Turkey’s objection to Finland and Sweden’s NATO Membership Applications

Abstract

• Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, unexpectedly vetoed Sweden, and Finland’s joint NATO membership bid. • Turkey wants both countries, but predominantly Sweden, to cease supporting the PKK (including affiliated organizations) and FETO, and reaffirm their stance on PKK as a terror organization; to curb PKK activities domestically and resolve pending extradition and deportation cases, and lift the weapons embargo. • The process involving the three countries is also closely linked to the US–Turkey relationship. • Turkey will lift its veto at the end, but most likely not before the parliamentary and presidential elections, currently scheduled for May 2023 • On 6 February 2023, a catastrophic Mw 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkey, as well as parts of Syria. It is still unclear how potential political consequences of the earthquake could affect the accession process.