NATO: Erdogan hopes that Turkey's allies will "hear" his "concerns"

Europe 1 with AFP 7:53 p.m., May 18, 2022, modified at 7:54 p.m., May 18, 2022

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is threatening to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO, hoped on Wednesday that Turkey's allies "will hear (his) concerns".

"We cannot say yes," he repeated.

"Supporting terrorism and asking for (our) support is a lack of consistency", insisted the head of state, who accuses the two Nordic countries of harboring members of the PKK, Kurdistan Workers' Party, classified as a terrorist organization by Ankara, as well as by the United States and the European Union.

"Our only expectation is that NATO will show good will towards Turkey's legitimate efforts to protect its borders," he continued.

PKK fighters are mostly settled in Turkey's neighboring countries: Iraq, Syria and Iran.

"None of our allies have ever respected these concerns, I'm not even talking about support," he said.

"Let them not get tired"

President Erdogan has also reiterated his requests for the extradition of "terrorists" hosted by Sweden, to which Stockholm, he accuses, has never responded.

He recalled that "about thirty extradition requests" had been rejected.

The head of state again warned that the Swedish and Finnish emissaries announced Monday in Ankara were not welcome: "Let them not get tired", he insisted.

On Wednesday evening, the spokesman for the Turkish presidency, Ibrahim Kalin, held a series of telephone conversations with advisers to the heads of state and foreign ministries of Germany, Sweden, Finland , the United Kingdom and the United States, indicated the Turkish presidency.

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Turkey expects "concrete steps"

During these talks, Ibrahim Kalin affirmed that Turkey was waiting for "concrete steps" to respond to its concerns about its national security". "In the event of "non-satisfaction of Turkey's expectations", the process of joining Nordic countries "cannot move forward", added Ibrahim Kalin.

"Sweden's membership in NATO cannot be done until Turkey's well-founded concerns are dispelled. If you want NATO's second army to defend you in the event of aggression, you must accept this reality", wrote for his part the director of communication of the Turkish presidency, Fahrettin Altun, in an opinion piece published on Wednesday in the Swedish daily

.

Since Friday, the Turkish president has opposed the enlargement of NATO to these two countries and continues to reiterate his hostility despite the soothing words of those around him.