Bloomberg: Turkey demands to lift sanctions against it for approval of Finland's and Sweden's joining NATO

Bloomberg writes about this, citing sources. The head of the US Department of State, Ned Price, earlier pointed out that Turkey did not put forward any demands in exchange for supporting countries to join NATO.

- Turkey wants to be re-introduced into the latest F-35 aircraft program, from which it was excluded after it bought S-400 missile defense systems from Russia ... Moreover, Turkey wants the US to lift sanctions for possessing it with C missiles -400, the message says.

In addition, official Ankara intends to purchase from the United States dozens of F-16 combat aircraft, kits for the modernization of fighters of this type. The Turkish authorities demand that the governments of Sweden and Finland lift the restrictions on arms exports imposed on Ankara along with other EU members back in 2019. Among the demands is a public condemnation by Sweden and Finland not only of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, but also of organizations associated with it.

Experts point out that it would be unwise to wait for the Turkish government to change its position and approve the entry of both countries into the alliance before the differences are resolved and before the countries of the Nordic countries publicly commit to show solidarity with Ankara regarding the Kurdish groups.

The day before, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the visit of delegations from Finland and Sweden to discuss the issue of joining the North Atlantic Alliance would not change Ankara's position on this situation.

Also on May 17, it became known that Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto signed an application for the country's entry into NATO. Together with Sweden, the country intends to ship on May 18.