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 member of NATO, Kristersson said, and added:
– I want to encourage everyone in Sweden to see the seriousness of this. This is very dangerous.
And on Tuesday evening, the Swedish government hastily called a press conference on NATO’s operation and the country’s security. In addition to the country’s prime minister, Foreign Minister Tobias Billström and Defense Minister Pal Johnson also took part.
– 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 Burning the Quran outside the Turkish embassy In Stockholm on Sunday.
– This is the worst thing we’ve been involved in since World War II. It threatens our democracy and it threatens peace,” Kristerson said, referring to the war in Ukraine and the NATO operation.
– But let’s not be naive. Kristersson said that there are forces inside and outside Sweden that will prevent us from becoming a member of NATO.
See the Prime Minister’s message:
The burning of the Qur’an led Turkey to cancel Riksdag Parliament Leader Andreas Norlin’s visit to the Turkish National Assembly.
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. He said it is the one we want to defend through NATO membership to defend our democracy.
The Prime Minister also emphasized that the vast majority of the Swedish population wants NATO membership. In addition, six out of eight political parties in the country support membership.
He wants dialogue with Turkey
When asked about the prime minister’s opinion on 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.
Haavisto said Finland should act now Think joining NATO without Swedenbefore later retracting and stating that Finland would nonetheless retain the agreement to apply with Sweden.
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.
“Organizer. Social media geek. General communicator. Bacon scholar. Proud pop culture trailblazer.”