Turkey suggests Sweden, Finland can join NATO separately

PRAGUE (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says there is a difference in the approaches of Sweden and Finland to meeting Turkey’s security demands for them to join NATO. Turkey has threatened to block Sweden and Finland’s membership in the 30-member defense alliance. It accuses Sweden and — to a lesser extent — Finland of supporting groups that Turkey deems to be terrorists. NATO operates by consensus and the two Nordic countries need Turkey’s approval to join. Erdogan said Turkey will not be positive toward Sweden “as long as the terrorist organizations are demonstrating on the streets of Sweden, and as long as the terrorists are inside the Swedish parliament.” But he said that “Finland is not a country where terrorists are roaming freely.”