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Finland’s flag will be raised on the flagpole at NATO headquarters on Tuesday, marking a historic but bittersweet moment for the alliance – which hopes to do the same with Sweden.
The ceremony will take place before a scheduled meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers. The meeting will focus on the war in Ukraine and deepening ties between Russia and China.
Foreign ministers or representatives of Australia, New Zealand and South Korea will attend, said NATO Sec. General Jens Stoltenberg at media availability ahead of the meeting.
Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership at the same time nearly a year ago, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But Turkey objected and withheld both applications, which must be ratified by each of the alliance countries.
Ankara claims that Sweden is particularly soft on the government of President Recep Erdoğan is considered a terrorist in nature.
Turkey rejected Finland and recently approved membership.
Stoltenberg said there that Ankara and NATO headquarters still do not see “eye-to-eye” in membership for Sweden and most members of the alliance believe that Stockholm has lived until the undertakings made to strengthen its anti-terrorism law.
“My position is that Sweden has implemented the commitments it made when it signed the trilateral memorandum of understanding, together with Finland, Sweden and Turkey,” Stoltenberg said, referring to the agreement signed at the NATO leaders’ summit last year.
“Sweden has implemented stronger laws on the fight against terrorism. Mechanisms are in place to exchange more information, intelligence. Sweden has removed restrictions on arms exports to Turkey.”
Stoltenberg said he was confident Sweden would participate in the future and pointed out that Finland and Sweden work more closely together in the fight against terrorism.
It may not be that simple, though.
Swedish and Kurdish nationalists
Ankara has accused Stockholm of being sympathetic to Kurdish nationalists and harboring individuals linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is considered a terror group by the EU, US and UK.
Pro-Kurdish groups staged demonstrations that included members of the Swedish parliament and paraded PKK flags around the Swedish capital, including in front of the city hall. During protests in January in Stockholm, Erdogan’s effigy was hung from a lamp post and the Koran was burned.
Some have warned that another similar demonstration this spring could prevent Turkey from agreeing to Sweden joining NATO.
Stoltenberg said the allies were aware of the situation.
“Turkey has some legitimate security concerns and all of its allies must address them,” he said. “He’s important to us, too.”
Canada has approved Sweden’s membership. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly is expected to attend a two-day NATO meeting of foreign ministers.
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