Possible consequences of NATO expansion on the border with Russia

Baku/29.06.22/Turan: Finally, Turkey, Finland and Sweden signed a tripartite memorandum on the process of Finland and Sweden joining NATO. A joint statement, Finland and Sweden unequivocally condemned the attacks by terrorist organizations on Turkey.

Finland and Sweden expressed their commitment to preventing the activities of the PKK (Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan - Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)) and all other terrorist organizations and individuals, and decided to intensify cooperation to prevent the activities of terrorist organizations."

The memorandum also provides that in the future Finland and Sweden will ban the PKK and all its affiliates from raising funds and recruiting supporters, will not support the Syrian offshoots of the PKK - PYD (Partiya Yekitiya Demokrat - Democratic Union Party) / YPG (Yekineytn Parastina Gel - People's Detachments self-defense (military wing of the PYD) and an organization called FETÖ.

In addition, Sweden confirmed that a new and more effective Terrorist Offenses Act will come into force on July 1, 2022, and the government will continue to strengthen anti-terrorism legislation.

Finland and Sweden further confirmed that "there are no longer any national arms embargoes between these countries."

Sweden has pledged to amend its national legislation on arms exports to NATO allies. This means that "in the future, the export of defense industry products from Finland and Sweden will be carried out in the spirit of allied solidarity."

Earlier, Russia's aggression against Ukraine prompted Finland and Sweden to apply to join NATO. However, Turkey opposed the membership of Finland and Sweden in the alliance, arguing that these countries do not support Turkey's fight against terrorism, but instead support the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK. Ankara has openly stated that Finland and Sweden have extended their arms to members of the terrorist organization PKK.

International expert Elman Fattah talks about the possible consequences of NATO expansion on the border with Russia in the “Difficult Question” program.

According to him, the "Triple Memorandum" from the point of view of ensuring the national interests of Turkey deserves the highest praise.

“The mere fact that in an international document, offshoots of the PKK, such as, for example, the US-backed PYD and YPG, are recognized as terrorist organizations, depriving Finland and Sweden of these organizations and their members from legally operating is beyond any doubt a success. The same goes for FETÖ. For the first time since 2016, it has been recognized as a terrorist organization,” the expert said.

According to Fattah, if Moscow expected that Turkey would use its "veto" right to prevent Finland and Sweden from joining NATO, then they made a serious mistake. “Because the rapprochement between Turkey and Russia has only some ten years. It does not have deep roots, a long history. In 2016, relations between Turkey and Russia were almost on the brink of war. In short, the partnership between the two countries is situational. Obviously, the Kremlin understood that Turkey would not give up its interests for the sake of Russia,” the political scientist believes.

According to him, this event will certainly have an impact on Turkish-Russian relations. “Because Russia, one might say, has lost its most important allies in the West. The accession to NATO, with which Russia had rather tense relations, neutral Finland and Sweden, one way or another will have a negative impact on Turkish-Russian relations,” Fattah predicts.—0—