Turkey's Erdogan threatens Sweden, Finland to pull back from NATO accession deal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a brutal warning to Finland and Sweden, just two days after dropping his objection to m joining NATO alliance. dressing media reporters at close of NATO summit in Mrid, Erdogan asserted that if any of two nordic nations renege on ir promises, n his ministration would not ratify deal. Ankara h earlier objected to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, accusing m of housing pro-Kurdistan terrorists, but later lifted its objection after y promised to extrite suspects. 

Erdogan said that 10-article agreement with Nordic countries was a victory for Ankara and dressed all its "sensitivities”. He particularly highlighted extrition of terror suspects with links to outlawed Kurdish groups or a network of exiled clerics accused of failed coup in Turkey. But leer said that if nordic pair fail to act upon agreement, n Turkish Parliament could back from approving deal. 

“This business will not work if we don’t pass this in our parliament,” Erdoğan told reporters as reported by Guardian. “First, Sweden and Finland must fulfil ir duties and those are alrey in text … But if y don’t fulfil se, n, of course, re is no way we would send it to our parliament,’ he ded. 

'73 Kurdish terrorists will be extrited'

Earlier on Thursday, Turkish President h said that in accordance with joint memorandum he signed with Sweden and Finland that paves way for ir entry into NATO, latter have agreed that "73 Kurdish terrorists will be extrited." "We expect our allies to take into consideration our concerns not just at a rhetorical level but also through facts ", Erdogan on sidelines of 2-day NATO Summit at Mrid. Notably, no particular number of extritions was set by memorandum.

According to text of agreement, seen by Guardian, Finland and Sweden are obliged to dress Turkey’s “pending deportation or extrition requests of terror suspects expeditiously and thoroughly, taking into account information, evidence and intelligence provided” by Turkey in accordance with European convention on extrition.

(Image: AP)