NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto attend a trilateral meeting between Turkey, Finland and Sweden on the day of a NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, June 28, 2022. NATO/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES
After weeks of angering partners by insisting it would veto the Scandinavian countries’ accession, Turkey has agreed to support Finland and Sweden joining the NATO military alliance, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on Tuesday.
The announcement came after a meeting at the NATO summit in Madrid Tuesday between Niinisto, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The meeting was brokered by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
The accord was sealed with a signing ceremony. Niinisto said the text,”underscores the commitment” of all three countries, “to extend their full support against threats to each other’s security.”
Turkey, too, issued a statement, saying it “got what it wanted,” and that it had, “made significant gains in the fight against terrorist organizations.” Turkey had previously accused the Scandinavian countries of harboring terrorists and demanded the extradition of individuals Turkey has labeled terrorists.
NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg said the memorandum signed by the three parties, “addresses Turkey’s concerns, including arms exports and the fight against terrorism.”