The New York Times published a news analysis in which it talked about what Turkey wants from Finland and Sweden before agreeing to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Stephen Erlanger, the newspaper's chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe, said that Finland and Sweden applied to join the alliance last May, due to Russia's war on Ukraine, and expected a quick and smooth entry, but soon their expectations of being welcomed into the alliance faded after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his previous promises not to put obstacles in their way, and the main spokesman for Turkish foreign policy, Ibrahim Kalin, said there was no timetable for their acceptance, but rather spoke of a one-year delay.

The reporter noted that Finland is particularly frustrated, given the length of its 830-mile (1,335-kilometer) border with Russia.

The newspaper pointed to the many demands made by Erdogan, most of which focused on nationalist issues with local influence, such as Kurdish separatism, terrorism, and the extradition of some followers of exiled opposition leader Fethullah Gulen, who lives in the United States and is accused by Erdogan of orchestrating the failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016. .

Finland is particularly frustrated, given the length of its 830-mile border with Russia

The newspaper pointed out that what Turkey wants from Finland and Sweden is to strengthen their anti-terror laws, to extradite certain people, including a number of Kurdish journalists, and to abolish the unofficial ban on arms sales to Turkey, which was imposed after the Turkish military intervention in northern Syria in 2019.

The newspaper added that most of these demands relate to Sweden and its long-standing sympathy for Kurdish refugees and the Kurdish desire for autonomy, which Ankara sees as a threat to its sovereignty.

While the West condemns the PKK, it has relied heavily on a Syrian Kurdish branch in the fight against the Islamic State.

The reporter concluded his analysis that Erdogan is running in the June 2023 elections, and his popularity is declining with the decline of the Turkish economy.

Therefore, the Kurdish issue is important in Turkey, as it is an issue that inflames the feelings of Turkish nationalism.