Turkey’s president has reiterated his objection to Finland and Sweden joining NATO, only hours after they announced their intention to do so.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the two Nordic countries did not need to send delegates to persuade Turkey, a crucial NATO member, of their candidacy.

He is enraged by their willingness to house Kurdish extremists.

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Sweden has already stated that Europe was living in a frightening new reality, referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Finland and Sweden’s decision to join the 30-member military alliance did not directly threaten Moscow, but that any development of military infrastructure would elicit a response from the Kremlin.

Erdogan said at a news conference on Monday that Turkey opposes Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership ambitions, labelling Sweden as a “hatchery” for terrorist organisations.

Also read: Sweden formally announces intention to join NATO after Finland bid

“Neither of these countries have a clear, open attitude towards terrorist organisation. How can we trust them?” the Turkish president stated.

Turkey accuses the two Nordic countries of harbouring members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a terrorist organisation, as well as followers of Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of plotting a 2016 coup attempt.

Erdogan’s government has also promised to reject applications from nations that have sanctioned it.

Both Nordic countries imposed an arms embargo on Ankara following its intervention into Syria in 2019.

Also read: NATO expansion in Finland, Sweden will ‘certainly provoke’ response: Putin

Sweden has formally announced its intention to join NATO, effectively ending the Scandinavian country’s centuries-long military isolation.

“NATO will strengthen Sweden, Sweden will strengthen NATO,” Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson stated Monday during a press conference in Stockholm.

She claimed that Europe was now living in a perilous new reality, referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Finland, Sweden’s neighbour, said last week that it will pursue NATO membership. Russia slammed both announcements.

“We are leaving one era behind us and entering a new one,” Andersson told Swedish legislators on Monday.

She stated that a formal application might be submitted within a few days and would be synchronised with Finland. NATO has expressed willingness to accept the two new members.

Also read: NATO mulls expanding alliance as Russia falters in Ukraine

Andersson, on the other hand, emphasised that Sweden does not desire permanent NATO bases or nuclear weapons on her territory.

Norway, Denmark, and Iceland, all NATO members, promptly stated that they would help Sweden and Finland by any means necessary if they were attacked.

Sweden and Finland have already received security guarantees from the United Kingdom, which is also a NATO member.

Sweden’s declaration came as NATO launched one of its largest drills in the Baltic region, involving 15,000 troops. The drills in Estonia, dubbed “Hedgehog,” involve ten countries, including Finland and Sweden.