Turkey defiant as Sweden signs NATO bid

Hurriyet ^

[FarCenter]

Any membership bid to NATO must be unanimously approved by NATO’s 30 members, and Turkey is openly opposed to the enlargement, accusing the two countries of failing to take a clear stance against terrorism.

“We will not say ‘yes’ to those [countries] who apply sanctions to Turkey to join security organization NATO,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said late May 16.

Sweden has suspended any arms sales to Turkey since 2019 over Ankara’s military operation in neighboring Syria.

Referring to the Swedish and Finnish delegations’ intentions to meet with Turkish officials, Erdoğan said: “They say they will come to Turkey on Monday. Will they come to persuade us? Excuse us, but they shouldn’t bother.”

Turkey accuses Sweden and Finland of harboring terror groups, including the PKK, blacklisted by Ankara, the European Union and the United States.

“Neither of the countries have a clear stance against terror organizations,” Erdoğan said.

[hanamizu]

“Lets just invite all the European members of NATO plus Sweden and Finland to a Washington DC summit ...”

---

And who would be the master of ceremonies at this DC summit? Brandon? You’re imagining a scenario where we had a sentient President.

[Mr. Blond]

Go Turkey! Then, just go, Turkey!

[OneVike]

we had to get rid of our nukes in Turkey in order for Russia to get rid of their nukes in Cuba.

25 years later, under Reagan, we learned that Russia never removed those nukes.

Just another historical mistake that proves we should never ever trust any Democrat to ever be President.

Plus, if I were ever elected to Congress, I would introduce legislation that designates the Democrat party as a terrorist antiAmerican organization, and thus ban them from ever holding office.

[TheBattman]

Funny... I recall clearly there were some “hurdles” that had to be overcome when Turkey was proposed as a new member of NATO... Guess those “turkeys” of Turkey have short and ungrateful memories...

[PGR88]

Turkey can cause a lot more damage to NATO from the outside than the spineless cucks in Sweden and Finland can help NATO on the inside.

Thus, the USA/Deep state will never have Turkey to be kicked out or NATO, unless they are terribly stupid

So its a 50/50 bet.

[PghBaldy]

Wasn’t it a different place, though, when it still had some leftover attempt at sanity from the Ataturk era clampdown on extremism?

[Secret Agent Man]

I’d make that trade. More logical Sweden and Finland would be in NATO.

[Dr. Franklin]

I’d make that trade. More logical Sweden and Finland would be in NATO.

There has been a move for the EU to create its own army. This is a step in that direction, and Turkey isn't in the EU, and probably never will be. It took centuries to kick the Turks out of places like the Balkans and Bulgaria. Many in Europe don't want to invite them back in again.

[Dr. Franklin]

Turkey is of strategic importance. They control Russian access to the Mediterranean. Push them too far and they could flip in order to establish “Greater Turkey” with the help of Russia and China.
https://preview.redd.it/0gm44gv83ur51.jpg?auto=webp&s=668b57731812c86f438ca8e79d3daf47dbc3f171
(I don’t like them getting any of Bulgaria)

Yes, but Turkey also knows that its in Turkey's best interest for Russia to be weak. Turkey has been supplying Ukraine with the drones that have been wiping out Russian armor. For Turkey, supporting Ukraine to weaken Russia is in its national interest. It looks like it's busting balls with Sweden and Finland. When it realizes it's playing a weak hand with the Europeans, Turkey will shut up and not object to expanding NATO again.

[Dr. Franklin]

That would be a useful tactic at this point. When the enemy was a strong and menacing USSR, Turkey was a geopolitical anchor of the Southern end of NATO. But that was last century. If Turkey today is not willing to fulfill its obvious role in the alliance, then cut it loose. We don’t need an unreliable obstructionist weak link in the security of the West, caught up in its own parochial rivalries and outdated issues.

The twin pillars of Soviet containment in the post-war era initially were Turkey and Iran. Neither are overly important to contain Russia today. Turkey wants to join the EU, but still objects to accepting European values, and is quite sensitive to criticism in a very Eastern way. Turkey will continue to be an outsider as Europe continues to integrate militarily.

[cuban leaf]

All this NATO infighting makes me wonder if that Putin guy really is a genius. 🤣

[Waverunner]

International Law - oxymoron for do what the great powers want or we’ll take it away from you. Remember there were no Nuremberg type trials for cleansing of Armenia, or the starvation of the dissidents by Stalin.

[Srednik]

Plus - many current NATO nations are “escapees” from the Ottoman Empire, which empire Erdogan so longs for. Putin’s Russia is Asian and not European in its behavior. Neither is Turkey in its orientation European.

[Secret Agent Man]

Dam right

Wheres reparations for Constantinople?

[familyop]

Turkey wants F-35s from us. A big no to that. Not under any circumstance or condition. Just no. We cannot trust Turkey to secure F-35s or the technology.

Toss Turkey or penalize it. We don’t need Turkey in NATO. Things have changed. Or NATO nations can make separate agreements for mutual defense with Finland and Sweden.

Russia’s neighbor has extensive network of bunkers with impressive amenities (Finland)
https://youtu.be/4c8fepchRwY