Turkish interests may endanger NATO capabilities
Biden asked Congress to approve the sale of weapons and equipment for modernization of the US-made F-16 aircraft, owned by Turkey.
EPA
The Turkish president insists that Finland and Sweden must suppress anti-Turkish Kurdish activities in both countries, which is what other countries in the alliance are doing, he said.
More importantly, Erdogan wants other members to drop restrictions on providing more advanced military equipment to Ankara that were imposed as a result of his decision to purchase the Russian S-400 air defense system, which would jeopardize the alliance's military capabilities.
This is not the first time that Turkey threatens to obstruct the security of NATO, unless it serves its interests.
Two years ago, over the course of several months, Turkey held up the alliance's defense plan for Poland and the Baltic states, during which time it demanded that member states act against a Syrian Kurdish group that had played a pivotal role in the fight against ISIS.
Erdogan retreated at the time, which he might do again on the issue of the alliance's expansion, but "NATO" cannot afford the Turkish president's brinkmanship policy.
And if the approval process for Finland and Sweden takes a long time, this will make the two countries vulnerable to intimidation by Moscow, as they will not come under the collective security umbrella of "NATO" until after their official accession.
Given the unpredictable behavior of Russian President Vladimir Putin, NATO is certain that the alliance will face more frequent crises, as it must act quickly and decisively.
US President Joe Biden had asked Congress to approve the sale of weapons and modernization equipment for US-made F-16 planes, owned by Turkey, and according to a Bloomberg report, Biden should announce that this process will be halted if Ankara tries to disrupt, or Obstructing Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO.
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