2 yıl önce

Türkiye 'will work closely' with Finland, Sweden to implement security deal

Türkiye "achieved concrete, specific and significant results," says Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, referring to Nordic countries' pledge to address Ankara's concerns over terrorism.

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Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden signed a memorandum following talks in Madrid.

Türkiye will be working closely with Finland and Sweden to put the memorandum on Ankara's terrorism concerns signed at the NATO summit into action, said the Turkish communications director.

"Our government will be working closely with our Finnish and Swedish counterparts to implement this agreement. We are satisfied with their constructive approach to address our concerns," Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Wednesday.

"We will work to ensure that NATO has more unity on terrorism."

He said the meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finland's President Sauli Niinisto, Swedish Prime Minister Magdelena Andersson, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg "achieved concrete, specific and significant results regarding our concerns over terrorism."

All parties "agreed to full cooperation against the terror organisation PKK and all its extensions," Altun said, adding that "Sweden and Finland committed to stand with Türkiye against all forms of terrorism and promised not to provide support to the PYD/YPG and FETO terror groups."

Lifting defence restrictions

Altun noted the agreement lifts Sweden and Finland's "restrictions or sanctions on our defence industry", and said, "they have committed to revise counter-terrorism laws to address our concerns regarding terror activities cloaked under pseudo-political activities."

Türkiye, Sweden, and Finland have also "agreed to create an intelligence-sharing and cooperation mechanism against terrorism and organised crime," the Turkish official said.

As part of the agreement, all sides agreed to also take "concrete steps and creating bilateral arrangements on extradition of individuals convicted of terrorism," Altun wrote.

"Sweden and Finland agreed to ban any fundraising and recruitment activities by the PKK and its extensions as well as shell organisations. They also agreed to prevent terrorism propaganda against Türkiye."

He also announced plans to establish a "Permanent Shared Mechanism to oversee and verify the implementation of these steps with the participation of justice, intelligence, and security bureaucracies of our respective countries."

About President Erdogan's meetings on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid, Altun said the Turkish leader has already met European Council President Charles Michel, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden.

"He will continue to hold meetings with NATO leaders throughout this summit," he added.

Türkiye's terrorism concerns

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join the alliance last month, a decision spurred by Russia's offensive on Ukraine, which began in February.

But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, voiced objections to the membership bids, criticising the countries for tolerating and even supporting terror groups such as the PKK and its offshoots.

Stoltenberg has repeatedly said that Türkiye has "legitimate concerns related to their fight against the PKK terrorist group and other organisations," and that the PKK is considered a terror organisation by NATO, the EU, as well as Finland and Sweden.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Türkiye, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 wounded.