NATO’s doors remain open to Turkey, Sweden, and Finland, a stance cited by İbrahim Kalın, an adviser to the Turkish president, in a Reuters interview. Yet the priority here is Turkey’s national security. He urged these countries to curb support for Kurdish groups and to address Ankara’s concerns directly with Swedish authorities. Kalın noted that Turkey hopes for productive talks with Sweden and emphasized that the NATO accession process is ongoing and should be evaluated as it unfolds by all partners and by Swedish officials.
He stressed that a large portion of the Turkish population is not satisfied with the presence of Kurdish groups and the Gülen movement inside Europe. Kalın urged international partners to take this sentiment into account when considering their policies and positions on NATO expansion.
According to Kalın, the national security concerns of Turkey are not a reaction to Russia’s criticisms of Sweden and Finland’s NATO plans but part of a broader, independent assessment of regional stability.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also criticized Finland and Sweden for what he described as explicit support for Kurdish groups that Turkish forces face daily. He recalled Turkey’s longstanding support for NATO’s open-door policy and urged Western allies to align their actions with that principle while staying mindful of Turkish public opinion. The minister noted that a sizable portion of the Turkish population opposes the entry of countries that back Kurdish and related groups, and he called for the matter to be discussed with NATO members and the concerned states.
In Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan voiced calm but guarded reservations about Sweden and Finland joining the alliance. He warned that Turkey would not rush to endorse the move and reminded listeners that Greece had joined NATO in the past while suggesting Turkey does not want to repeat prior missteps. Erdoğan also described certain Scandinavian countries as hosts for Kurdish groups, including some political representatives who operate within those nations, a situation Turkey views as destabilizing. The enemies cited by Ankara include Kurdish groups, as well as related movements within the Scandinavian region.
Turkish authorities identify three organizations as problematic: the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a Kurdish militant group, a leftist faction seeking socialist change, and the movement led by a Turkish dissident living abroad. Ankara characterizes these groups as threats that aim to undermine the Turkish government and regional security. The PKK has been fighting Turkish forces for decades, and Turkish officials have accused it of violent acts both inside Turkey and beyond its borders. In their rhetoric, Turkish authorities describe the DHKPC as an ultra-left group and the Gülen movement as a network they label as a terrorist organization. The latter was tied to a failed coup attempt in 2016, an incident Turkish authorities attribute to the movement’s followers abroad, though supporters insist the group focuses on education and civic projects.
Observers note that Sweden and Finland have sizable Kurdish communities, and there are parliamentary representatives with Kurdish origins in Sweden. Turkish officials argue that some members of these communities have ties to the said groups, complicating the NATO discussions. The ongoing conflict with the PKK has shaped decades of Turkish policy and continues to influence perceptions of security and alliance expansion in Ankara.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s stance on the Nordic candidates has drawn reactions from other NATO members. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto urged patience and a step-by-step approach, noting that all 30 NATO member states must approve any enlargement simultaneously. He emphasized the shared commitment to counterterrorism as a core NATO principle. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde reported that Turkish officials had met with their Swedish counterparts but had not yet communicated a formal negative stance through official channels, signaling continued diplomatic engagement. Finnish officials echoed the sentiment that the alliance must proceed with careful consensus, given the diverse views among member states. As talks proceed, many observers anticipate a careful balancing of security concerns with the strategic aims of NATO’s eastward expansion and collective defense commitments.