Sweden's accession to NATO: Turkey's expectations from Stockholm
Turkey's expectations from Stockholm (photo: Getty Images)
Turkey expects Sweden to fulfill its commitments and take certain practical steps towards its accession to NATO, stated the Minister of National Defense of Turkey Yaşar Güler.
"We continue to be an active and constructive member of NATO. We have demonstrated this once again with Finland's membership. As for Sweden, legal changes are meaningless on their own. For us, it is important to fulfill the obligations undertaken, to take certain practical steps," Güler emphasized.
He also mentioned the recent cases of burning the Koran, which is sacred to Muslims, in European countries. In addition, the Minister emphasized Denmark's positive attitude to these actions.
"Denmark, albeit late, has passed a law prohibiting the mishandling of holy books. I would like to say that we see this positively, as well as every step that promotes the common values of all mankind, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence," Güler said.
Sweden on the way to NATO
Last year, Sweden applied to join the North Atlantic Alliance.
As of today, all NATO members have approved Sweden's initiative, except for Turkey and Hungary.
Recently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted Sweden's application to the parliament. Stockholm expects ratification to take place shortly.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström also recently said that Turkey plans to approve the country's application to join the North Atlantic Alliance in the coming weeks.
