Turkey's foreign minister has told Sweden and Finland that they must stop supporting 'terrorists' if they want to join NATO.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Ceausjoulu told reporters after meeting NATO foreign minister in Berlin, Germany, that Sweden and Finland must provide clear security guarantees and lift export bans to Turkey.
In particular, he explained that he was publicly opposed to Sweden's support of the Kurdish Workers' Party.
Turkish authorities have classified the Kurdish Workers' Party (KWP) as a terrorist organization, which advocates the separation and independence of the Kurds from Turkey.
Finland announced on the same day that it would apply for NATO membership, and Sweden is expected to make the same decision in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Turkey's position is expected to act as an important variable in a situation where the unanimous vote of 30 member countries is required to join NATO.