• Saturday, 29 June 2024

Finland, Sweden, Turkey address Ankara's concerns in security talks

Finland, Sweden, Turkey address Ankara's concerns in security talks
Helsinki, 26 August 2022 (dpa/MIA) — Sweden and Finland have renewed their commitment to fighting "all forms of terrorism," Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported on Friday citing the Turkish presidential office, following talks that aim to enable the two Nordic nations to join NATO. The two countries' commitment involves "full solidarity" with Turkey in not supporting the "terrorist" groups of PKK and YPG, as well as the group of US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, the report said. After decades of neutrality, Finland and Sweden applied to join the Western alliance in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. However, the ratification requires unanimous approval and Turkey has yet to back their accession, citing security concerns. Ever since, diplomatic efforts have been under way to address Ankara's fears. Ankara has accused both countries of supporting the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG, both of which Turkey classifies as terrorist groups. Turkey also blames Gülen for the 2016 failed military coup. Friday's report came after the envoys from Finland, Sweden, and Turkey met for their first round of talks since an agreement to cooperate on security. On Friday, Foreign, Interior, Justice and Defense Ministry representatives and envoys from the offices of the president, the prime minister and the secret services from the three countries met for talks in Vantaa, according to a statement by the Finnish government. "The participants discussed the concrete steps to implement the Trilateral Memorandum and agreed that the Mechanism will continue to meet at the expert level during the autumn," the statement said. In the memorandum, agreed earlier this summer, Sweden and Finland assure Turkey of their support against threats to national security.