Sweden, Finland, Türkiye sign memorandum on Nordic countries’ NATO bids

MADRID (AA) – Türkiye, Finland and Sweden signed a memorandum Tuesday on the Nordic countries’ bids for NATO membership following four-way talks in Madrid.

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto and Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson met to discuss the issue and Ankara’s related concerns.

Following the signing ceremony, the NATO chief said at a press conference that he is “pleased” to announce that the three nations reached an agreement that paves the way for the Nordic countries to join the military alliance.

He added that the signed memorandum addresses Türkiye’s concerns about arms exports and the fight against terrorism.

Asked whether Sweden and Finland will be invited to join NATO at tomorrow’s summit meeting, Stoltenberg said that tomorrow the leaders of allied countries will take a decision to invite Sweden and Finland to join the alliance.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join the alliance last month, a decision spurred by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups.

Stoltenberg has constantly said that Türkiye has “legitimate concerns related to their fight against the PKK terrorist group and other organizations” and that the PKK is considered a terrorist organization by NATO, the EU, as well as Finland and Sweden.