Erdoğan tells Sweden and Finland to end support to terror groups

Holding a telephone conversation on Saturday, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged Sweden's PM Magdalena Andersson to end financial and political support to terrorist organizations.
Erdoğan told Magdalena Andersson that Ankara expects concrete steps regarding its concerns about terrorist organisations, according to the information released by the presidential sources.

"Sweden must lift its restrictions on the Turkish defense industry over Turkey's counterterrorism operations in northern Syria," Erdoğan told Sweden's premier while expressing Ankara's concern over the arms embargo.

"Turkey expects Sweden to take serious steps to address its concerns with regards to YPG/PKK terror group, and its proxies in Syria and Iraq," Erdoğan stressed in his remarks during the telephone call with Sweden's leader.

Andersson said she appreciated the call. "We look forward to strengthening our bilateral relations, including on peace, security, and the fight against terrorism," she tweeted.

In another call, Erdoğan told Finnish President Sauli Niinisto that failing to deal with terrorist organisations that posed a threat to a NATO ally would not suit the spirit of the alliance, Ankara said.

Niinisto said he held "open and direct" talks with Erdoğan and agreed to continue the close dialogue.

inland and Sweden formally applied to join NATO on Wednesday, following Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Ankara says Sweden and Finland harbor people linked to the PKK militant group and FETO, which has been accused of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt.