

ISTANBUL:
Sweden and Finland have fulfilled their obligations to Turkey and should be allowed entry into the NATO, Secretary-General of the military alliance Jens Stoltenberg said here.
“It’s time to welcome Finland and Sweden as full members of NATO,” said Stoltenberg during a press conference in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday.
“Their accession will make our alliance stronger and our people safer,” he said, noting that Finland and Sweden are ready to work closer with Turkey to fight terrorism.
Turkey, along with Hungary, are yet to finalis the process of ratifying the NATO memberships for the two Nordic countries despite signing the initial protocol in July.
Turkey has repeatedly stated that before the process could be finalized, Finland and Sweden must take “concrete steps” to ease its concerns, including signing criminal extradition protocols and lifting sanctions on Ankara’s defence industry.
Stoltenberg aims to accelerate the ratification process by Turkey during his three-day visit, during which he will also hold meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Defence Minister Hulusi Akar.
However, in response to the NATO chief’s remarks, Cavusoglu stated that the two Nordic countries have not fulfilled all their obligations and more steps are needed to be taken by them.
“Some steps were taken indeed. But it is impossible to state that they have been fully implemented by these two countries. It is not our intent to block (NATO’s) expansion. We just want to see concrete steps,” the Foreign Minister added.

more recommended stories
With Reciprocal Tariffs, Trump Aims for Place in HistoryNEW YORK:Beyond the trillions of dollars.
US Condemns China’s Military Drills near Taiwan as Threat to Regional StabilityWASHINGTON:The United States has strongly condemned.
Trump Pledges to Address ‘Decades of Unfair Trade’ with Reciprocal TariffsWASHINGTON:US president Donald Trump has vowed.
Amsterdam Stabbing: Five Injured in Attack on Busy Shopping StreetAMSTERDAM:A shocking stabbing incident in Amsterdam.
US Tariffs on Imported Cars to Weigh Heavily on S. Korean CarmakersSEOUL:US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement.
Multiple US Airstrikes Hit Yemen’s Houthi-held Capital SanaaSANAA:The US military conducted multiple airstrikes.
Promise Made, Promise Kept: White House Credits Trump for Safe Return of AstronautsWASHINGTON:The White House has said that.
Three Earthquakes Shake Indonesia, One Death Reported in North SumatraJAKARTHA:Three earthquakes struck Indonesia on Tuesday,.
Trump Says 80,000 Pages of Unredacted Files on JFK Assassination to be Released TodayWASHINGTON:US President Donald Trump said that.
UN Chief Urges India, Pakistan to Cooperate on Counter Terrorism EffortsUNITED NATIONS:UN Secretary-General António Guterres has.