https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 14:19:30 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-is-there-anything-new-on-turkiyes-path-towards-europe/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 08:16:40 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658629 As usual, Turkish President Recep Tayyeb Erdogan has made another political U-turn with his country's foreign policy. After stressing repeatedly just a few days before the NATO summit in Lithuania last month that Sweden has still not done all that is required of it to Turkiye's satisfaction as agreed (along with Finland) in June last year, and criticising the Swedes for allowing protesters to burn copies of the Holy Quran, Erdogan has agreed to proceed with the country joining NATO. Following a meeting between Erdogan, the Swedish Prime Minister and NATO's secretary-general, the organisation's closing statement included Turkiye's agreement to refer Sweden's NATO accession to the parliament in Ankara. In return, Sweden made certain commitments, including cooperation with Turkiye to […]]]> 658629 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230710-does-sweden-provoke-turkiye-to-avoid-joining-nato/ Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:00:36 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651050 Focusing on Russia again, just like in the first Cold War, NATO has returned to its default settings. As of 2021, it has turned toward expanding its sphere of activity to cover the immediate vicinity of the People's Republic of China. Russia's war against Ukraine brought new expansion plans for the alliance to the forefront. The NATO membership of Sweden and Finland was brought to the fore at the peak of the conflict during the Russia-Ukraine war, when the possibility of a Russian nuclear attack was on the table. While the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) did not confirm the possibility of a Russian nuclear attack, the White House insisted that the threat was real. Given the current state of […]]]> 651050 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230705-hungary-pledges-support-for-turkiyes-decision-on-swedens-nato-bid/ Wed, 05 Jul 2023 09:47:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649714 Hungary's foreign minister yesterday said his country will back Turkiye's decision on Sweden's bid to join NATO, Anadolu reported. "If there is a shift [in Turkiye's decision], then of course we will keep the promise that Hungary will not hold up any country in terms of membership," Peter Szijjarto told a news conference in Budapest which was broadcast on his Facebook page. Szijjarto added that he has been in touch with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan about the matter. Sweden, together with Finland, applied for NATO membership soon after Russia launched a war on Ukraine in February 2022. Although Turkiye approved Finland's membership to NATO, it is waiting for Sweden to abide by a trilateral memorandum signed in June 2022 in Madrid […]]]> 649714 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230626-explainer-turkiye-keeps-sweden-waiting-on-nato-membership-as-key-summit-nears/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 16:19:54 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647340 Sweden's path to NATO membership remains blocked by Turkiye and Hungary ahead of a July summit in Vilnius, where it hopes to join Nordic neighbour, Finland, as a full member of the alliance. Finland, which applied together with Sweden, joined NATO in April, but Turkiye continues to block Swedish membership, citing security concerns. Ankara has said Sweden must crack down on anti-Turkiye protests before getting a green light to join NATO. Sweden has set its sights on joining at the alliance's 11-12 July summit and, while it has strong support from other members including the United States and more talks with Turkiye are expected, there have been few clear signs of a breakthrough. Background  Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year convinced Sweden […]]]> 647340 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-sweden-nato-membership-must-be-accepted-before-july-summit/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 18:00:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645590 Turkiye and Hungary must ratify Sweden's NATO membership before the alliance meets at a summit in July, France's Foreign Minister said on Friday, adding that any further delays were not understandable and risked the 31-members' security, Reuters reports. Earlier, this year Turkiye ratified Finland's NATO bid, but is holding back Sweden's bid. "It is in everyone's interest, including Turkiye, and we are counting on it now that the elections are over to quickly ratify Sweden's membership," Catherine Colonna told reporters at a news conference with her Swedish counterpart, Tobias Billstrom. According to the report, Billstrom said Stockholm had met the terms of an agreement with Ankara, pointing to new anti-terrorism legislation, and that it was now in the "hands of […]]]> 645590 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230527-eu-diplomatic-missions-call-on-israel-to-halt-west-bank-violations/ Sat, 27 May 2023 12:34:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=640141 European Diplomatic missions in Jerusalem on Friday called on the Israeli occupation to halt all confiscations and demolitions in the occupied West Bank. In a press statement, the consortium of missions urged: "Israel, as the occupying power, to halt all confiscations and demolitions and to give unimpeded access to humanitarian organisations in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem." Members of the consortium include the Consulates General of Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK, and the Representative Offices of Denmark, Finland, Germany and Ireland, as well as the Office of the European Union (EU) Representative to the West Bank and Gaza. The diplomatic missions called on Israel to: "Return or compensate for all humanitarian items funded by the […]]]> 640141 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230525-us-wants-to-move-forward-on-f-16-jet-sales-to-turkiye/ Thu, 25 May 2023 14:15:13 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=639879 The Biden administration wants to "move forward" on the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye, the White House said Wednesday, Anadolu News Agency reports. According to the report, National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, said US still would like to move forward on the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye. "My recommendation would be to maybe talk to Senator (Bob) Menendez's office or folks on the (Capitol) Hill to talk about what their expectations are," he said. "All I can do is speak for the President and nothing's changed about his desire to move forward on it, on the F-16s." Some members of Congress objected to the sale, tying its approval to the ratification of NATO membership for Sweden and Finland, report […]]]> 639879 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230510-finland-fm-disagrees-with-turkiye-on-ypg-terrorism-status-despite-counter-terrorism-agreement/ Wed, 10 May 2023 19:52:50 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=635643 Finland has clarified that it does not share Turkiye's view that the Syrian-Kurdish militant group, the People's Protection Units (YPG), are part of a terrorist organisation, two months after Ankara approved Helsinki's entrance into the NATO alliance. In an interview with the German Tagesspiegel newspaper yesterday, Finnish Foreign Minister, Pekka Haavisto, complained that "Ankara wants to expand the terrorism label also to other groups" beside the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the European Union and United States. According to Turkiye, the YPG – the Kurdish militia which operates in north-east Syria and is backed by the US and European nations – is the PKK's Syrian branch, a stance which western countries have long […]]]> 635643 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230425-saudis-new-female-ambassadors-to-eu-and-finland-take-up-posts/ Tue, 25 Apr 2023 16:45:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=631304 READ: Saudi detainee Mohammed Al-Qahtanis life at risk, rights groups warn]]> 631304 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230406-finland-buys-israels-anti-missile-system/ Thu, 06 Apr 2023 12:50:59 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=626971 Finland said yesterday that it plans to purchase Israel's David's Sling missile defence system in a deal wotk $344 million. The announcement came a day after Finland joined the NATO military alliance and is an effort to boost its defence capabilities. "The David's Sling system will extend the operational range of Finland's ground-based air defense capabilities significantly," it said in a statement. "This acquisition will create a new capability for the Finnish Defence Forces to intercept targets at high altitude," said Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen. The weapons system is a joint venture by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd and American contractor Raytheon and is designed to intercept planes, drones, tactical ballistic missiles, medium- to long-range rockets and cruise […]]]> 626971 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230404-explainer-after-finland-joins-nato-why-is-turkiye-making-sweden-wait/ Tue, 04 Apr 2023 19:00:04 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=626569 Sweden's path to NATO membership remains blocked by Turkiye and Hungary as neighbour, Finland officially joined the 30-member alliance on Tuesday after its application was ratified in record time. Analysts do not expect Turkiye to ratify Sweden's application until after Turkiye's 14 May election, at the earliest. Even then, it is unclear what would trigger a change of heart by President Tayyip Erdogan. Hungary is seen following Ankara's lead. Background  Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year convinced Sweden and Finland to ditch long-held policies of military non-alignment. Both countries see NATO, with its collective defence clause, as the best way to ensure their security. The majority of NATO members have quickly ratified their applications, arguing that Finland – which […]]]> 626569 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230331-finland-pledges-21-8m-to-support-palestine-refugees/ Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:51:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=625616 Finland has pledged to donate $21.8 million as part of a three-year funding agreement with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The multi-year agreement (MYA), which runs from 2023 to 2026, is a renewal of the existing cooperation between the parties and follows the MYA which ran from 2019 to 2022, during which an annual €5 million ($5.4 million) was contributed to the agency's humanitarian operation. Paivi Peltokoski, ambassador from the Representative Office of Finland in Ramallah, said: "Finland highly values the indispensable work of UNRWA with Palestine refugees, including in providing basic services, for example in education and healthcare." "Finland is a long-standing and stable supporter of UNRWA. More than ever, UNRWA needs adequate funds, […]]]> 625616 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230331-turkiye-approves-finlands-nato-bid/ Fri, 31 Mar 2023 11:55:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=625569 Turkiye's parliament yesterday voted to approve Finland's bid to join NATO. The Nordic country received Ankara's official blessing for its request to join the military alliance, with 276 votes in favour. Yesterday's vote means that all 30 current member states of NATO have now ratified Finland's accession, a requirement for it to join the alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the vote. READ: Turkiye plans to ratify Finland's NATO bid ahead of May polls "I welcome the vote of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye to complete the ratification of Finland's accession. This will make the whole NATO family stronger and safer," he said on Twitter. ❝Finland will formally join our Alliance in the coming days. Their membership will make Finland […]]]> 625569 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230326-turkiye-leaves-door-open-to-swedens-nato-bid-turkish-presidential-spokesperson/ Sun, 26 Mar 2023 10:12:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624665 Turkiye's presidential spokesman said Saturday that Ankara has left the door open to Stockholm's bid to join NATO if it shows will and determination, Anadolu reports. "The door is not closed to Stockholm now, but how the process will progress, its pace, and when it will be completed depends on Sweden's steps," Ibrahim Kalin said on Turkish television news channel NTV. Sweden's new government is "sincere and diligent in this regard. But it does not have enough instruments to take legal action," to address Turkiye's security concerns, he said. A constitutional amendment was made in Sweden last year and took effect in January, said Kalin, adding that a new counterterrorism law in this context will enter into force June 1. […]]]> 624665 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230324-turkish-parliamentary-commission-approves-finlands-nato-membership/ Fri, 24 Mar 2023 10:44:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624481 The Turkish parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission yesterday approved a bill that ratifies Finland's bid to join NATO. Deputy Foreign Minister Burak Akcapar briefed parliamentarians on the proposed bill. "We believe that Finland's membership will strengthen the NATO alliance, contribute to the burden-sharing of the alliance against threats, contribute to NATO's deterrence, regional security and our determination in the fight against terrorism. We consider that our alliance with Finland will also contribute to the development of our bilateral relations," Akcapar said. Finland and Sweden submitted applications to join NATO last May, however Turkiye set conditions on their entry, claiming they harbour what Ankara says are militants from the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which took up arms against the Turkish state […]]]> 624481 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230315-turkiye-plans-to-ratify-finlands-nato-bid-ahead-of-may-polls/ Wed, 15 Mar 2023 15:12:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=622640 The Turkish Parliament is highly likely to ratify Finland's NATO membership before it closes mid-April for elections, the officials said, Reuters reported. "We are looking favourably at Finland's accession. It would not be wrong to say that accession talks will be held at different times than Sweden," one Turkish senior official said. Finland's President, Sauli Niinisto, will visit Turkiye on Friday to discuss his country's bid to join NATO with Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. READ: Finland wants to join NATO together with Sweden, PM says]]> 622640 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230227-turkiye-nato-talks-with-sweden-and-finland-to-resume-on-9-march/ Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:19:50 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=618371 Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said on Monday talks with Sweden and Finland over their NATO membership bids would resume on 9 March, although he said Sweden had still not fulfilled its obligations under a memorandum signed last year, Reuters reports. Turkiye, in January, cancelled talks with Sweden and Finland on their applications after a Danish far-right politician burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm. "My colleagues will attend the meeting that will be held on 9 March," Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara, adding that the meeting would be held in Brussels. Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the North Atlantic defence alliance after Russia invaded Ukraine, but Sweden, in particular, has faced unexpected objections from Turkiye. READ: Turkiye, […]]]> 618371 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230227-aid-diplomacy-after-earthquake/ Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:19:37 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=618390 While the world is dealing with the first anniversary of the deadly war in Ukraine, the solidarity shown towards Turkish society after its devastating earthquake is one of the best examples of "aid diplomacy" in modern history. Even though Turkiye was against Sweden's and Finland's membership of NATO, less than 24 hours after the two massive earthquakes hit southern Turkiye, the well-oiled wheels of humanitarian assistance started turning in Sweden and Finland. The Swedes have given €3.3 million in humanitarian support, and sent more than 50 search and rescue experts, search dogs and medical teams to Turkiye. Finland also sent 1 million Euros in humanitarian assistance to Turkiye and Syria through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. So, could 'earthquake […]]]> 618390 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230224-turkiye-sweden-finland-to-hold-meeting-on-nato-accession/ Fri, 24 Feb 2023 13:12:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=617679 Turkiye, Finland and Sweden will hold a meeting to discuss the NATO accession of the  two Nordic countries in March, the alliance chief announced today. Jens Stoltenberg spoke at a joint press conference with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and President of the European Commission von der Leyen in Tallinn, Estonia. Stoltenberg said he "had good discussions with President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan" during his visit to Ankara last week. "We agreed to restart the talks and to convene a trilateral meeting between Finland, Sweden and Turkiye at NATO headquarters in mid-March under my auspices," he explained. READ: EU will mobilise intl community to support Turkiye, Syria The parties will discuss "how to complete the accession process" of both the states. Stoltenberg […]]]> 617679 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230219-finland-wants-to-join-nato-together-with-sweden-pm-says/ Sun, 19 Feb 2023 09:14:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=615943 Finland has announced that it still wants to join the NATO alliance alongside its neighbour Sweden, despite chances that Turkiye will approve Helsinki's bid separately. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference today, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin stated that "We have sent a very clear signal and a very clear message to Turkiye and also to Hungary…that we want enter NATO together and this is in the interest of everyone". She insisted that "We want to join together with Sweden at the same time. It's not only because we are good neighbors and partners, it's also to do with very concrete matters — the security planning of NATO". Last year, Sweden and Finland together applied to join the NATO military […]]]> 615943 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230205-turkey-says-no-concrete-evidence-of-threat-to-foreigners-after-isis-suspects-detained-state-media-report/ Sun, 05 Feb 2023 13:21:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=611944 Turkish police said they had not found evidence of any concrete threat to foreigners after detaining 15 Islamic State suspects accused of targeting consulates and non-Muslim houses of worship, state media reported on Sunday, Reuters reports. Last week, several European consulates in Istanbul were shut citing "security reasons" and several Western states warned citizens of a heightened risk of attacks to diplomatic missions and non-Muslim places of worship in Turkey, following a series of far-right Quran-burning protests in Europe in recent weeks. State-run Anadolu Agency cited an Istanbul police statement saying the 15 suspects had "received instructions for acts targeting consulates of Sweden and the Netherlands, as well as Christian and Jewish places of worship". While the suspects' ties to the […]]]> 611944 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230201-turkiye-president-rules-out-backing-sweden-joining-nato-unless-it-ends-attacks-on-quran/ Wed, 01 Feb 2023 16:59:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=611320 Turkiye rules out green lighting Sweden joining NATO as long as it permits attacks on Islam's holy book, the Quran, the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "We will not say yes to (Sweden's) entry into NATO as long as you allow our holy book, the Quran, to be burned, torn apart, and to be done with (the approval of) your security personnel," Erdogan said, referring to the recent burning of a Quran in Stockholm, the capital, Anadolu News Agency reports. "We closely follow developments regarding NATO's enlargement process. Our view on Finland is positive, but not on Sweden," he said, signalling a willingness to support Finland's NATO bid separately from Sweden's. READ: Is Europe's pseudo-religious 'freedom of […]]]> 611320 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230130-finland-nato-bid-may-be-considered-over-sweden-erdogan/ Mon, 30 Jan 2023 16:13:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=610978 Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan, signalled that Ankara may agree to Finland joining NATO ahead of Sweden, amid growing tensions with Stockholm, Reuters reports. According to the report, Turkiye suspended NATO talks with Sweden and Finland last week, after a protest in Stockholm in which a far-right politician burned a copy of the Koran. "We may deliver Finland a different message (on their NATO application) and Sweden would be shocked when they see our message. But Finland should not make the same mistake Sweden did," Erdogan said in a televised speech. Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, said his country wanted to restore NATO dialogue with Turkiye. Turkiye sees it was meaningless to restart talks, the report added. READ: Sweden's foreign minister says NATO talks […]]]> 610978 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230125-why-is-turkiye-blocking-swedish-and-finnish-nato-membership/ Wed, 25 Jan 2023 15:27:39 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=609475 Swedish and Finnish hopes of quickly joining NATO have run into an obstacle in the form of objections by Turkiye, which holds veto powers over accession to the military alliance. The three nations reached an agreement on how to proceed in Madrid last June, but Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said Sweden, in particular, is not keeping its side of the bargain. This week, Erdogan postponed accession talks indefinitely. Of NATO's 30 members, only the parliaments of Turkiye and Hungary have not yet ratified entry for Sweden and Finland, which are worried about their security after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Why does Turkiye object to Swedish and Finnish membership? Turkiye says Sweden, in particular, harbours what Ankara says are militants from the banned Kurdistan […]]]> 609475 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230125-erdogan-tells-sweden-not-to-expect-support-for-nato-bid/ Wed, 25 Jan 2023 15:15:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=609470 READ: Erdogan tells Sweden no support for NATO membership bid if no respect for beliefs]]> 609470 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230125-mauritania-scholar-calls-for-sweden-boycott-after-quran-burning/ Wed, 25 Jan 2023 09:54:46 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=609413 Mauritanian scholar Mohamed El-Hassan Ould-Dedew has said that Sweden and Swedish goods must be boycotted after a copy of the Holy Qur'an was burned outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm last weekend. Al-Dedew said that all Islamic countries should cut relations with the government of Sweden until it apologises officially for allowing the protest by Danish far-right extremist Rasmus Paludan to go ahead. "The Swedish government's expression of sympathy with Muslims is not enough because the reality belies it," said the scholar. "Muslims must boycott all Swedish products until they apologise." Sheikh Al-Dedew called on the media to raise awareness of the harm caused by this violation. Imams in the mosques and the Islamic media must do their share in […]]]> 609413 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230118-using-nato-membership-as-leverage-turkiye-is-giving-the-eu-a-taste-of-its-own-medicine/ Wed, 18 Jan 2023 14:34:02 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=607257 Turkiye has surprised many policymakers and analysts over the past decade with its diplomatic prominence, soft power projection and hard power in the form of drones and other advances in weaponry. During this time of its expansion across the world stage – despite its largely shrunken economy – it has gained many adversaries, while stoking old tensions with others, not least through its assertiveness in the eastern Mediterranean and its insistence on protecting its national security. The latest assertive move has appeared over the past seven months in the form of Turkiye's leverage over Sweden and Finland, which want to join NATO but have been prevented from doing so by the Turkish government's use of its veto. Ankara is using […]]]> 607257 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230116-sweden-finland-must-send-up-to-130-terrorists-to-turkiye-for-nato-bid/ Mon, 16 Jan 2023 17:23:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=606508 Sweden and Finland must deport or extradite up to 130 "terrorists" to Turkiye before the Turkish Parliament will approve their bids to join NATO, President Tayyip Erdogan said, Reuters reports. The two Nordic states applied last year to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but their bids must be approved by all 30 NATO member states. Turkiye and Hungary have yet to endorse the applications. Turkiye has said Sweden, in particular, must first take a clearer stance against what it sees as terrorists, mainly Kurdish militants and a group it blames for a 2016 coup attempt. "We said look, so if you don't hand over your terrorists to us, we can't pass it (approval of the NATO application) through the Parliament anyway," Erdogan said […]]]> 606508 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221219-sweden-blocks-extradition-of-dissident-turkish-journalist/ Mon, 19 Dec 2022 13:41:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=601368 Sweden's Supreme Court today blocked Turkiye's request to have an exiled Turkish journalist extradited. Judge Petter Asp ruled that there was no crime committed sufficient for an extradition and that it would be dangerous for the individual. "An extradition can thus not take place," he insisted. According to the court, there were "several hindrances" to Ankara's request for Bulent Kenes, the former editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Zaman, to be sent back to Turkiye. The newspaper was banned by the Turkish authorities after the government accused it and Kenes of participating in the 2016 attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Living in exile, Kenes now works for the Stockholm Centre for Freedom, founded by other exiled Turkish dissidents. He […]]]> 601368 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221213-pm-sweden-takes-memorandum-signed-with-turkiye-finland-very-seriously/ Tue, 13 Dec 2022 18:55:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=600722 Sweden takes the three-way memorandum signed with Turkiye and Finland on the Nordic countries' NATO membership bids very seriously, the country's prime minister said Tuesday, reports Anadolu Agency. Ulf Kristersson said that the most important item in Sweden's new security policy is NATO membership. "We take the terms of the Tripartite Memorandum signed on June 28 between Sweden, Turkey and Finland for NATO membership very seriously and continue the negotiations with the same seriousness," he said at a news conference. "We also talk frequently with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on this issue," he added. READ: Addressing Turkiye's security concerns will improve Sweden's security Finland and Sweden formally applied to join NATO in May, abandoning decades of military non-alignment, a […]]]> 600722 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221202-finland-artists-strike-against-museum-ties-to-zionist-arms-dealer/ Fri, 02 Dec 2022 16:54:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=598055 More than 70 artists announced yesterday that they were going on strike calling on Finland's Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma to sever ties with a billionaire art collector whose wealth has been accumulated through defence contracts with Israel, Hyperallergic reported. In an open letter, the artists highlighted that Chaim "Poju" Zabludowicz has arranged for artwork to be donated to Kiasma, adding that links to the billionaire are questionable as he "set up the UK-based BICOM (Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre), whose reports seek to refute any claims that the actions of the State of Israel constitute apartheid rule." "Zabludowicz runs the Tamares Group, founded by his father, which made its money by facilitating arms trading between the states of Finland and […]]]> 598055 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221201-turkish-fm-sweden-finland-took-positive-steps-to-join-nato/ Thu, 01 Dec 2022 10:26:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=597723 Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday that Sweden and Finland have taken "positive steps" to combat terrorism, a condition stipulated by Ankara for accepting the Nordic countries' accession bid  to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). "The new government in Sweden is more determined than its predecessor, and we welcome this development," the Turkish top diplomat added, during a press conference held on the side-lines of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Bucharest. He added that Swedish officials "made legislative amendments, and all of this constitutes positive steps", however, he said that despite the correct "sounding statements and great determination" by the two Nordic countries, Turkey is still waiting for "concrete measures." "We have not yet seen concrete measures […]]]> 597723 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221104-nato-chief-to-turkiye-its-time-to-admit-finland-sweden/ Fri, 04 Nov 2022 16:03:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=591527 NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, on Thursday increased pressure on Turkiye on the acceptance of Sweden and Finland to the alliance, Reuters report. According to the report, officials from Turkiye, Finland and Sweden signed a Memorandum in June to pave the way for the two countries to address Turkish concerns regarding terrorism and arms exports, but Turkiye — along with Hungary — has yet to sign off on their accession. "I recognise your concerns," Stoltenberg said at a press conference alongside Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu. "At the same time," he said, "it is clear that Finland and Sweden have delivered on the Memorandum and are committed to the long-term partnership with Turkiye." Helsinki and Stockholm, have done their part, and "so it's time […]]]> 591527 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221030-finland-and-sweden-promise-to-join-nato/ Sun, 30 Oct 2022 13:44:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=590232 READ: Turkish drones a 'game changer', says UK DM]]> 590232 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221028-5-ex-european-ministers-label-israel-an-apartheid-state/ Fri, 28 Oct 2022 12:34:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=589995 A group of former European ministers have acknowledged that Israel's policies and practices against the Palestinians amount to the crime of apartheid and called on the international community to hold the Occupation State to account. "We must acknowledge that Israel's policies against Palestinians amount to the crime of apartheid," said the group in a letter published in the French daily Le Monde. The former ministers include Danish politician Mogens Lykketoft;  Finnish politician Erkki Sakari Tuomioja; Slovenian lawmaker Ivo Vajgl; Hubert Védrine, a French Socialist politician and member of the British House of Lords Baroness Sayeeda Hussain Warsi. "We see no alternative but to acknowledge that Israel's policies and practices against the Palestinians living in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and […]]]> 589995 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221023-finnish-delegation-to-visit-turkiye-for-talks-on-terrorists-extradition/ Sun, 23 Oct 2022 14:15:23 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=588076 A delegation from Finland will visit Turkiye next Tuesday to hold technical talks on the extradition of accused terrorists sought by Ankara, as stipulated in a recent treaty, reports Anadolu Agency. Finnish Justice Ministry officials will meet in the capital Ankara with a delegation headed by Kasim Cicek, director general of foreign relations and the European Union at the Turkish Justice Ministry. During the meeting, Turkish officials will reiterate their request to the Finnish delegation to extradite members of two terrorist groups, the separatist PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the latter the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkiye. Evidence of the accused terrorists' guilt will also be laid out in documents. Finland and Sweden formally applied […]]]> 588076 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221019-sweden-finland-must-fulfil-nato-accession-deal-with-turkiye-officials-say/ Wed, 19 Oct 2022 08:35:59 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=587399 Sweden and Finland must fulfil the terms of the NATO-accession agreement concluded with Turkiye, the Swedish ministers of foreign affairs and defence said yesterday. In May, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Their membership application was opposed by Turkiye which accused the Scandinavian countries of harbouring Kurdish militants, designated as "terrorists" by Ankara. In June, Turkiye, Sweden and Finland signed a tripartite memorandum on combating terrorism on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Madrid, Spain. However, Turkish officials have repeatedly accused the two countries of not fulfilling their responsibilities under the deal, including the extradition of terror suspects. On Tuesday, Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tobias Billstrom, and Defence Minister Pal Jonson, both […]]]> 587399 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221014-finland-violated-rights-of-child-nationals-in-syria-camp-un-committee-rules/ Fri, 14 Oct 2022 08:43:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=586207 Finland has violated the rights of its child nationals stranded in detention camps in north-eastern Syria, according to United Nations child rights experts. In a statement by the UN Child Rights Committee, which consists of 18 independent experts tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it stressed that "Finland has the responsibility and power to protect the Finnish children in the Syrian camps against an imminent risk to their lives by taking action to repatriate them". Following the territorial defeat of the terror group, Daesh, in 2019, its surviving fighters were captured and detained in prisons while their family members, who were with them, were taken to camps in north-east Syria, where they […]]]> 586207 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221010-hope-turkiye-approves-our-nato-membership-finnish-pm-says/ Mon, 10 Oct 2022 16:42:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=585189 Finnish Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, said that she hopes her country's NATO membership will be approved by Turkiye as soon as possible, Turkish local media reports. According to the report, Marin said that they discussed the approval process of her country's NATO membership with Erdogan in Prague last week. "We have always been consistent in our policies when it comes to Turkiye. We negotiated before the (NATO's) Madrid Summit. Now we fulfil those agreements. I hope Turkiye approves our NATO membership as soon as possible," Marin said. "I think it's important for Finland and Sweden to join NATO at the same time because it's a matter of security in northern Europe," she added. 28 out of the 30 NATO member […]]]> 585189 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220922-report-raises-alarm-over-institutionalisation-of-islamophobia-in-europe/ Thu, 22 Sep 2022 14:54:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=581986 Islamophobia remains a growing threat across Europe, with several countries enacting policies that have contributed to the institutionalisation of an issue that should, instead, be stamped out with urgency, a new report has warned. According to the European Islamophobia Report 2021, Islamophobia was "as pressing a problem" across the continent as it was in previous years. It said countries, such as the UK and France, became "the main spots of anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobic incidents." "Furthermore, anti-Muslim campaigns of far-right parties in EU member States dominate the discrimination against Muslim individuals and communities", read the report, which focused on 27 European countries, and was prepared with contributions from 35 leading academics and experts in the field. The report links the […]]]> 581986 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220914-turkiye-asks-next-swedish-government-to-take-counter-terrorism-steps-needed-for-nato-membership/ Wed, 14 Sep 2022 16:06:23 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=580060 The new Swedish government should now address security concerns that Turkiye has raised in return for lifting its veto on Sweden and Finland's membership of NATO, Turkey's Foreign Minister said on Wednesday, Reuters reports. The two countries applied to join the security alliance in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but faced opposition from Turkiye which accuses them of imposing arms embargoes on Ankara and supporting groups it deems terrorists. Turkiye lifted its veto during a NATO summit in June in return for what it said were concrete gains on the issue. But Ankara has since said the Nordic countries have not taken the desired steps. Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said Turkiye had not expected Sweden to take steps before […]]]> 580060 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220913-morocco-army-chief-given-official-reception-in-israel/ Tue, 13 Sep 2022 08:50:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=579297 Morocco's army chief Lieutenant General Belkhir El-Farouk started an official visit to Israel today to participate in a military conference in Tel Aviv. An official reception ceremony was held upon El-Farouk's arrival and he was welcomed by Israeli army chief Aviv Kochavi. For the first time in history, we welcomed the Inspector General of the @MoroccanArmed Forces, LTG Belkhir El Farouk, to Israel today. The IDF Chief of the General Staff led an honor guard as LTG El Farouk arrived for the International Operational Innovation Conference. ???? pic.twitter.com/v5QCOR2Qpi — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 13, 2022 El-Farouk will take part in the Israeli army's International Operational Innovation Conference along with military leaders from other countries including Finland, India, Poland, Italy, Czech Republic, […]]]> 579297 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220826-turkiye-finland-and-sweden-agree-to-continue-talks-to-discuss-security-concerns/ Fri, 26 Aug 2022 20:31:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=576103 Officials from Turkiye, Finland and Sweden agreed on Friday to continue talks in the coming months to discuss security concerns raised by Turkiye as a pre-condition of allowing the two Nordic countries to join NATO. Officials from the three countries held the first of these meetings on Friday in the Finnish city, Vantaa. Foreign Minister of Finland, Pekka Haavisto, said the meeting aimed to establish communication and determine goals for cooperation that the countries agreed to, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding at the NATO Madrid summit in June. The Finnish Foreign Ministry said in a statement after the meeting "the participants discussed the concrete steps to implement the Trilateral Memorandum and agreed that the mechanism will continue to meet […]]]> 576103 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220826-turkiye-sweden-finland-to-meet-to-discuss-nato-membership/ Fri, 26 Aug 2022 09:01:34 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=575826 Officials from Turkiye, Finland and Sweden are expected to meet at an undisclosed location in Finland today to discuss security concerns which Ankara raised as a precondition for allowing the two Nordic countries to join the NATO military alliance, Reuters reported. Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said earlier the first meeting between officials would aim to establish contacts and set goals for cooperation that the three countries agreed to by signing a memorandum of understanding at NATO's Madrid summit at the end of June. The two Nordic countries applied for NATO membership in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but were faced with opposition from Turkiye which accused them of imposing arms embargoes on Ankara and supporting groups it deems terrorists. READ: Israel, Turkiye moving […]]]> 575826 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220815-a-glance-at-the-turkish-fms-recent-statement-on-syria/ Mon, 15 Aug 2022 12:06:26 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=573298 Politics is at times compared to a game with Machiavellian actors and rogue figures who are out only for themselves. A former British Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston once said: "We have no permanent allies, only permanent interests." This is an adage many in international politics still follow, though it is concerning that his words are taken quite so literally more than 160 years later and after so much has changed in the world. In a similar vein, the recently revealed news that Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, met his Syrian counterpart came as an unwelcome surprise to the Syrian people and even his admission that it was a brief and informal meeting on the sidelines of the Non Aligned […]]]> 573298 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220721-turkiye-says-it-will-meet-finland-sweden-in-august-to-evaluate-terror-related-pledges/ Thu, 21 Jul 2022 15:10:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=568612 Officials from Turkiye, Finland and Sweden will meet in August to evaluate the progress made in fulfilling Ankara's counter-terrorism demands from the Nordic countries to lift its veto on their NATO membership bid, Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said on Thursday, Reuters reports. Finland and Sweden have applied for NATO membership in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but were faced with opposition from Turkiye, which accused them of supporting groups it deems terrorists. The three countries signed an Accord last month to lift Ankara's veto, in exchange for promises on counter-terrorism and arms exports. Speaking to state broadcaster TRT Haber, Cavusoglu said the meeting in August would be the first of a monitoring committee formed under the Accord, but repeated […]]]> 568612 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220721-ypg-supports-protest-against-turkiye-finland-nato-deal/ Thu, 21 Jul 2022 10:06:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=568078 A group of supporters of the People's Defense Units (YPG) held a demonstration in Finland's capital on Tuesday, protesting against the recent memorandum between Turkiye, Sweden and Finland. During the demonstration, participants carried banners and marched in Helsinki. Sweden and Finland formally applied to join the transatlantic alliance NATO in June, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine. But Turkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, voiced objections to their membership bids, criticising the countries for tolerating and even supporting what it calls terror groups. A trilateral agreement signed between the countries in June stipulates that Finland and Sweden will not provide support to the YPG or the Gulen movement – which Turkiye deems terror groups –   in return for Ankara extending its full […]]]> 568078 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220719-turkiye-may-freeze-finland-sweden-bid-to-join-nato/ Tue, 19 Jul 2022 10:29:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=567443 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned yesterday that Ankara can still "freeze" Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO unless they meet Ankara's security demands. Last month, Turkiye lifted its objection to the Nordic countries' applications to join NATO by signing a MoU in which Stockholm and Helsinki agreed to address Turkey's "pending deportation or extradition requests of terror suspects expeditiously and thoroughly … in accordance with the European Convention on Extradition." At the time, Erdogan warned that Ankara would block the process if they fail to extradite "73 terrorists". Sweden and Finland's accession still needs to be approved by the parliaments of all 30 NATO members and Turkey's parliament could refuse to ratify the deal. "I repeat it again that […]]]> 567443 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220709-finlands-first-somali-born-mp-appointed-horn-of-africa-peace-envoy/ Sat, 09 Jul 2022 11:38:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=566193 The first Somali-born member of Finland's parliament has been appointed the country's special representative on peace mediation in the Horn of Africa, the northeastern region where Somalia is located, reports Anadolu Agency. Suldaan Said Ahmed will focus on supporting peace processes in one of Africa's volatile regions, said the Finnish Foreign Ministry. Finland said it has longstanding relations with several countries in the region. "The challenges faced by the fragile region include many political and armed conflicts, in addition to which the region suffers from the worst drought for decades," said Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. "Peace mediation is one of the priorities in Finland's foreign and security policy." The appointment supports Finland's efforts to further deepen relations with countries in […]]]> 566193 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220706-turkiye-renews-extradition-requests-with-finland-sweden/ Wed, 06 Jul 2022 12:06:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=565609 Turkiye has today renewed requests for Sweden and Finland to extradite individuals it considers terrorists after the countries reached a deal over the Nordic nations' NATO membership bids, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said, Reuters reports. Turkiye had opposed the two countries' bids over what it called support for Kurdish militants and others it views as terrorists, as well as over arms embargoes and unfulfilled extradition requests. Last week, the three nations signed a deal for Ankara to remove its block, while the candidate countries pledged not to support the Kurdish militant PKK and YPG groups or the network of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Ankara says the Gulen network staged a 2016 coup attempt and labels it a terrorist organisation with the acronym FETO. "Within the framework of the […]]]> 565609