Turkey Rejects NATO Mediation for Talks with Finland and Sweden

Turkey has rejected NATO's proposal to conduct trilateral talks with Sweden and Finland regarding their accession to the alliance due to objections raised by the Republic, reports the Financial Times, citing three informed sources.

The NATO-mediated negotiations were scheduled for June 15 but did not take place. Ankara demands "specific proposals" from Helsinki and Stockholm concerning concerns about the activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is recognized as a terrorist organization in Turkey, before it agrees to negotiate.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated on Wednesday that Turkey will not change its stance on the North Atlantic alliance's membership for Sweden and Finland, as long as those countries do not take "clear, concrete, and decisive actions" against terrorism.