President Erdoğan Says Turkey Won't Approve Sweden's NATO Membership As Long As It Allows Burning The Koran

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkey)

JAKARTA - Turkey views Finland's application to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) positively, but does not support Sweden's offer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

"Our position regarding Finland is positive, but not positive regarding Sweden," President Erdoğan said about the two countries' NATO accession in his address to AK Party representatives in parliament, reported Reuters, February 2.

Sweden and Finland signed up last year to join the military alliance after Russia invaded Ukraine, but faced objections from Turkey and have since been trying to win its support.

Ankara wants Helsinki and Stockholm in particular to take tougher action against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is considered a terror group by Turkey and the European Union, as well as another group blamed for the 2016 coup attempt.

The three countries reached an agreement on a move forward in Madrid last June, but Ankara suspended talks last month as tensions soared following a protest in front of their embassy in Stockholm that saw the burning of a Koran by right-wing politician Rasmus Paludan.

"Sweden need not bother trying at this point. We will not say 'yes' to their NATO application as long as they allow the burning of the Koran," stressed President Erdogan.

Separately, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said there would be no compromise on free speech, but that Sweden would continue to implement the Madrid agreement.

"It is very clear what Sweden needs to become a member of NATO and that is for us to fulfill the conditions that are in the trilateral agreement," he told national news agency TT.

"Religion was not part of the agreement," he said.

At the weekend, President Erdogan hinted that Ankara could agree to Finland joining NATO before Sweden.

However, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said Monday his country was sticking with its plan to submit a joint application with Sweden.

Yesterday, Finland repeated its position that it will move in line with its Nordic neighbour.

"Finland continues to advance the joint membership process with Sweden," the joint presidential and governmental committee on Finnish security and foreign policy said in a statement.

"The quickest realization of membership of the two countries is in the best interest of Finland, Sweden and the whole of NATO," he added.

Of the 30 NATO members, only Turkey and Hungary have not ratified the membership of the Nordic countries. Meanwhile, membership ratification is required from all countries.

Asked whether Turkey had plans for a separate process for Finland and Sweden, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said NATO and the two Nordic countries would decide on separate ratifications.

"If NATO and the two countries decide on a separate membership process, Turkey will of course reconsider Finland's membership separately and it is more profitable," Foreign Minister Cavusoglu told a news conference in Tallinn, Estonia.