Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has stated that the NATO issue is most important to the country’s security. This happens the day after Turkey stops processing the application.
There is no more important security issue for Sweden than we, with Finland, quickly becoming a NATO member, said Kristersson, and added:
– That’s really dangerous.
And on Tuesday evening, the Swedish government urgently convened a press conference on NATO’s operation and the country’s security, as well as the country’s prime minister, Foreign Minister Tobias Billström and Defense Minister Pal Johnson.
– Let’s not be naive
The day before, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said so Sweden could not wait for more support from Turkey For NATO application, after the burning of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Sunday.
– Christerson said that this is the worst thing we have been involved in since World War II, it threatens our democracy and threatens peace, referring to the war in Ukraine and the NATO operation.
– But let’s not be naive. Kristersson said that there are forces both inside and outside Sweden that will prevent us from becoming a member of NATO.
See the Prime Minister’s message:
Christerson was clear that the burning of the Qur’an should have no consequences for the application process.
– In Sweden, Swedish freedom of speech applies in full. Christerson says it’s who we want to defend through NATO membership to defend our democracy.
The prime minister also stressed that the vast majority of Sweden’s population wants NATO membership, and that six of the country’s eight political parties also support membership.
He wants dialogue with Turkey
When asked what the prime minister thought of Erdogan’s statement, Christerson said:
This is why I want to return to an effective dialogue on NATO membership. We should respect other countries’ reaction as they do based on the information they have. We obviously don’t think alike about everything, but you can have two thoughts in your head at the same time.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Swedish embassy in the Turkish capital, Ankara, was closed. This is due to the possibility of further demonstrations.
Finland’s foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto, said on Tuesday that he believes there will be a pause of a few weeks in the trilateral negotiations between Turkey, Sweden and Finland.
In March last year it became clear that Sweden, like Finland, wants this Seeking membership in NATO.
But to become a member of the alliance, all member states must agree to the application, and Turkey has put itself in a vulnerable position.
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