Finland, Sweden should not support PKK/YPG terrorist group: Turkey

By Trend

The Foreign Minister urged Finland and Sweden on Saturday to stop the “unacceptable and outrageous” support they are providing to the PKK/YPG terrorist organization, potentially complicating the alliance’s enlargement as the two Scandinavian countries consider joining NATO, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.

In a doorstep statement ahead of an informal NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Berlin, Mevlut Cavushoglu said Turkey has always backed NATO's open-door policy.

However, Cavushoglu said Sweden and Finland were "openly supporting and are engaging with PKK/YPG terrorist organization" which has been "attacking Turkey and killing Turkish troops and people."

"Therefore, it is unacceptable and outrageous that our friends and allies are supporting this terrorist organization. And because of our fight against this terrorist organization, there have been export restrictions on the defense industry products that we are importing from allies and some countries that are planning to be a member of NATO," he said.

"And that's why the big majority of the Turkish people are against the membership of those countries who are supporting the PKK/YPG terrorist organization and they're asking us to block this membership. But, these are the issues that we need to talk about with our NATO allies, as well as these countries," he added.