17 Oct 2026
Turkey does not believe Sweden meets NATO membership requirements
Turkey has not yet seen Finland or Sweden take any specific steps that would allow for approving their applications for NATO membership. This primarily concerns Sweden, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday in Tallinn, where he is on a working visit.
"We have not yet seen any concrete steps by these two countries, especially Sweden, that would make us certain and dispel our fears about our security. There is a protocol that three countries signed [in June 2022] in Madrid. We are waiting for the obligations enshrined in it to be fulfilled," Cavusoglu said.
Turkey has not yet decided if considering applications from Sweden and Finland separately was a possibility. "Such a decision should be taken by NATO and the countries concerned," the FM said.
Ankara has no evidence that might point to the involvement of any specific country in demonstrations in Europe, in particular in Sweden, to desecrate the Koran. "We do not have any information that any particular country or group is behind this. The purpose of the provocateurs was to prevent Sweden from joining NATO. Whoever is behind this, it is a provocation," the Turkish diplomat said.
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