DefenceTalkAfter months of deadlock, Turkey’s president has approved Sweden’s NATO membership, paving the way for the Nordic country to follow its neighbour Finland into the security alliance. Here is the current state of Sweden’s bid, which was sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. When will Sweden join NATO? While President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s green light […]https://www.defencetalk.com/the-state-of-swedens-nato-bid-after-turkeys-approval-80024/

DefenceTalkFinland, which has one of Europe’s longest borders with Russia, on Tuesday kicks off a parliamentary debate aimed at accelerating the country’s bid to join NATO, increasing the likelihood it will leave neighbor and military partner Sweden behind. Spooked by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden dropped their decades-long policies of military non-alignment and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/finland-moves-closer-to-joining-nato-without-sweden-79901/

DefenceTalkA majority of Finns want to go ahead and join NATO even if Sweden’s membership is delayed, a poll suggested Thursday, after Turkey said it could accept Finland without Sweden. More than half of respondents, 53 percent, replied negatively when asked “whether Finland should wait for Sweden” even “if it takes longer to ratify Sweden’s […]https://www.defencetalk.com/majority-of-finns-want-to-join-nato-before-sweden-poll-79837/

DefenceTalkHungary accused Sweden of “stupidity” Tuesday over an extremist incident in Stockholm that led Turkey to suspend NATO accession talks with the Nordic country and its neighbor Finland. Turkey and Hungary remain the only members of the 30-nation Western defence alliance to have failed to ratify the membership bids by Sweden and Finland. But a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/hungary-blasts-swedens-stupidity-on-nato-row-with-turkey-79809/

DefenceTalkFinland’s foreign minister said Wednesday he hoped Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO ratification process would be completed ahead of the alliance’s Vilnius summit in July, despite a row with Turkey. Ankara on Tuesday postponed NATO accession talks with Sweden and Finland, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Stockholm for allowing weekend protests that included the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/finnish-fm-hopes-for-nato-ratification-by-july-79765/

DefenceTalkTurkey on Tuesday postponed NATO accession talks with Sweden and Finland, further denting the Nordic neighbors’ hopes of joining the Western defence alliance after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ankara announced its decision one day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Sweden for allowing weekend protests that included the burning of the Koran […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-postpones-nato-talks-with-sweden-finland-79745/

DefenceTalkTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sweden on Monday that it should not expect his backing to join NATO following the burning of the Koran outside Ankara’s embassy in Stockholm. Erdogan’s furious comments further distanced the prospects of Sweden and Finland joining the Western defence alliance before Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary polls in May. Turkey […]https://www.defencetalk.com/erdogan-warns-sweden-on-nato-after-koran-burning-79733/

DefenceTalkPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said that Turkey could launch a ground operation in Syria, following deadly strikes by Ankara and Kurdish militants in northern Syria. “There is no question that this operation be limited to only an aerial operation,” Erdogan told reporters as he returned to Turkey from Qatar. “Competent authorities, our defence […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-could-launch-ground-operation-in-syria-erdogan-79623/

DefenceTalkSweden announced on Friday it had reauthorized exports of war materials to Turkey in an apparently significant concession to Ankara, which is threatening to block the Nordic country’s NATO membership. Ankara requested the lifting of the restrictions — which were introduced in 2019 following a Turkish offensive in northeastern Syria — after Sweden applied to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/sweden-allows-military-exports-to-turkey-after-nato-application-79456/

DefenceTalkPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Turkey may turn to countries such as Russia if the US fails to follow through a pledge to deliver F-16 fighter jets. Turkey was kicked out of a program to replace a wide range of fighter, strike and ground attack aircraft for NATO allies after it acquired an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-may-turn-to-russia-if-us-blocks-f-16-sales-erdogan-79366/