Disagreement over Turkey’s president replaces ambassadors to Finland and Sweden
[Xinhua News Agency]Turkish media reported on the 2nd that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has replaced Turkey’s embassies in the two countries due to intractable differences with Finland and Sweden over the two countries’ accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. ambassador.
Turkey’s “Official Gazette” reported that Erdogan has newly appointed ambassadors to 25 countries and regions. Among them, Deniz Chakar, an official in charge of international promotion and cultural affairs, was appointed as ambassador to Finland, and Jan Tezer, an official in charge of bilateral political affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was appointed as ambassador to Sweden.
After Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24, the positions of Finland and Sweden, which have long pursued a policy of military neutrality, changed. On May 18, the two countries applied to join NATO, which requires the unanimous consent of all NATO members.
As a member of NATO, Turkey opposes Sweden and Finland to join, including their support for the PKK and its affiliates, and the “Gülen Movement” that Turkey believes has staged an attempted coup.
In order to get the Turkish side to change its mind, Sweden and Finland sent delegations at the end of last month to hold the first round of consultations with Turkish officials in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, but little progress was made.
Erdogan said recently that Turkey remains firmly opposed to NATO’s absorption of Sweden and Finland. He said that as long as he is in office, Turkey will not vote for the two countries to join NATO.