ISTANBUL - Stating that Sweden and Finland signed a "agreement of intent" at the NATO summit, and that Turkey did not gain anything,  Journalist Kurdo Baksi said: ”Madrid Summit failed."

 

At the NATO summit held in Madrid,  a memorandum  was signed between Finland, Sweden and Turkey. This agreement paved the way for Sweden and Finland to join NATO. Discussions continue about the results of the agreement presented to the domestic public as a "diplomatic victory" by President of the AKP, Tayyip Erdogan. Journalist Kurdo Baksi, who lives in Sweden and followed the NATO summit, evaluated the agreement between Turkey, Finland and Sweden, Turkey's demands and the statements made by other countries after the agreement was signed.

 

NATO CARRYING OUT EXPANSION POLICIES

 

Baksi pointed out that NATO has been carrying out an expansion policy in the regions located in the former Soviet Republic since 2008, and therefore, wars have occurred as a result of NATO's interventions in the region in recent years. Baksi said: “‘invasion’ attempts in Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have gained momentum against NATO's enlargement attempts since 2008. Russia resorted to these moves because of its fear of NATO. NATO maintains the same policy in the Middle East, but that these policies continue not by making countries members of NATO, but by supporting forces that act entirely with their own policies.

 

TURKEY'S POLICIES AGAINST THE KURDS

 

Stating that Turkey has turned its relations with NATO and Russia into an opportunity, Baksi said: “Turkey's recent attitude towards Finland and Sweden's NATO membership negotiations is another version of the same policy. Turkey has pursued anti-Kurdish policies throughout history, using the contradictions between Russia and NATO. For this reason, Turkey did all kinds of evil against the Kurdish people. This style of politics continued from Adnan Menderes to Erdoğan. Their only aim was to prevent an independent Kurdistan.  Turkey used and blackmailed the Kurds against Sweden and Finland. Turkey did not gain anything with this initiative.”

 

AGREEMENT OF INTENT

 

Stating that the agreement signed between Turkey, Sweden and Finland in Madrid is an "agreement of intent", Baksi said: "Of course, there may be some changes in the following processes after this agreement. Until the next 8 months, Sweden and Finland will not become members unless they meet Turkey's demands. Turkey will do many things until this process. The reason I said 8 months is because the countries that are members of NATO have decided on the membership of Finland and Sweden.”

 

ERDOĞAN'S REPUTATION IS DESTROYED

 

Stating that Turkey resorted to "blackmail" policies, Baksi said: “The policies against the Kurds put forward by Erdogan were purely imposition. Turkey wanted to declare the YPG and PKK as 'terrorists' with this imposition, but it was unsuccessful. It had only one success, and that was to make some facilities easier for the Swedish and Turkish intelligence to work together, and to make more in-depth studies on the people Turkey wanted extradition. These extradition demands disturbed the Kurds. Erdogan's reputation was shattered when he announced at the International Press Conference last Thursday that they wanted 73 people. In other words, while the Minister of Justice was asking for 33 people, President Erdoğan asked  73 people. The contradiction destroyed Erdoğan’s reputation within 24 hours. You can do this policy or you can talk like this in the Middle East and in Turkey, but you cannot do such a policy in the international arena.”

 

'ERDOĞAN IS NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY'

 

Considering that Sweden and Finland abandoned their neutrality policy against the western and eastern bloc for years and agreed with Turkey as an attitude they took against a possible Russian "invasion", Baksi said: "Sweden and Finland have been very afraid of Russia throughout history. The last war of these two countries was with Russia. After the Ukraine attack, Sweden and Finland said that they are in danger now too. A psychological fear arose that there was no point in pursuing a policy of staying independent anymore. Although Sweden has been conducting a completely independent policy for years, this cannot be said for Finland because Finland has always acted as an independent province of Russia. Finland has not been a fully independent country since the beginning. After EU membership, Finland started not to do what Moscow said. In short, Finland now wants to get rid of Russia. These two countries don’t take Erdoğan seriously, they just follow their interests.”

 

'MADRID SUMMIT FAILED’

 

After this agreement, Turkey was not given the weapons it wanted from Biden. In this sense, Turkey has not gained anything. Sweden and Finland, on the other hand, have lost their credibility as countries where freedom of thought and expression is ensured. In short, Madrid summit lost. I don't think that the extraditions that Turkey wants will be made. A petition campaign was launched in Sweden against Turkey's extradition demands. All Kurds in the world should work against Turkey's demands. We need to take a clear stand against these returns. I don't want to tell too much about the content of the campaign, but Kurdish friends in Sweden and Finland need to put pressure on their governments. Everyone here is taking responsibility in this regard.”