How Turkey made peace with Sweden and Finland joining NATO

Context

On June 28, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary­ General announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Turkey, Finland and Sweden in a trilateral meeting held in Madrid, Spain.

What does the MoU say?

• First, a joint commitment between Turkey, Finland, and Sweden to counter terrorism;
• Second, addressing the pending extradition of terror suspects through a bilateral legal framework, and
• Third investigating and interdicting “any financing and recruitment activities of the PKK and all other terrorist organisations.”

Why did Turkey withdraw its opposition?

• First, Finland and Sweden should promise to address counter­terrorism provisions within their countries. Finland has committed to modify its criminal code, and Sweden has assured to implement the new “Terrorist Offenses Act”.
• Second, Turkey had raised concerns about Finland and Sweden being home to Kurdish activists and militant organisations. Finland and Sweden have now agreed to execute the pending “deportations or extraditions” of listed ‘terror’ suspects made by Turkey.
• Third, lifting the arms embargo. There has been no clear definition about the category of weapons, but Finland and Sweden will remove the arms embargo against Turkey.