Three weeks before the NATO summit in Madrid, the question of whether it will take a decisive step to admit Sweden and Finland into the alliance remains open.
The reason is the same - the objections of Turkey, which cannot be persuaded or persuaded by the entire Euro-Atlantic world.
While Western allies meet each other, hang on the phones and frantically search for new arguments in the dispute with Ankara, President Erdogan and his team make it clear that Turkey is in no hurry.
Because this is a fundamental issue.
“We cannot become allies with countries that support terrorism,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu explained, pointing out that Ankara will seek guarantees from Sweden and Finland to stop their support for Kurdish organizations.
He also called on Stockholm and Helsinki to remove restrictions on the supply of defense industry products to Turkey.
“Sanctions are being taken against enemies.
You are imposing restrictions on a country that has made a significant contribution to ensuring the security of Europe,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
In turn, the official representative of the President of Turkey, Ibrahim Kalin, pointed out that in making a decision on NATO membership of Sweden and Finland, his country is not limited by time frames.
According to him, Ankara does not consider the end of June as a deadline.
As for President Erdogan himself, in his speech at the congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party last Sunday, he said: "Until our expectations are met, we will not change our position on NATO expansion."
But why, in fact, is he so restless?
The army of his Western critics got the opportunity to launch into arguments that President Erdogan is stabbing NATO in the back, because he is an “oriental despot” who imagines himself a sultan, with an exaggerated ego and the cunning of a merchant in a Turkish bazaar.
And his Turkey is a cat that walks by itself, and NATO will never be able to tame it.
In fact, there is a completely different logic at work here.
Erdogan simply reminds NATO that consideration of the interests of members and future members of the alliance cannot be selective.
The rules must apply to everyone.
This is the meaning of collective commitment.
If NATO is so suddenly preoccupied with the security problem of Sweden and Finland, which have not yet joined it, then why is it showing indifference to the problem of Turkey, which has been subjected to terrorist attacks more than once?
This is what President Erdogan is trying to explain to the allies, not wanting a one-sided game, but not at all opposing the expansion of the alliance as such.
However, the wall of misunderstanding is only growing.
According to Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, "strong nerves and perseverance are needed" to resolve differences with Turkey.
In turn, the President of the country, Sauli Niinistö, believes that there should be no questions about Finland's actions at all.
“Finland's approach and actions in the fight against terrorism fully coincide with the common line of the NATO countries, including with regard to terrorism faced by Turkey.
In this regard, the conditions for our membership in NATO have also been fulfilled,” Niinistö said.
So hot Finnish guys may not rush into NATO.
Turkish guys are even hotter.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.