Erdogan: Turkey will ‘not be stung again’ as it was with Greece joining NATO

Turkey will not make the same mistake as a previous administration made with Greece, by allowing countries like Sweden and Finland, “which host terrorist cells,” into NATO, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, reiterating Ankara’s intention to oppose the alliance’s enlargement.

“We will say ‘no’ to Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Sweden is a real terror nest… NATO is a security organization. It is unacceptable to have terrorist groups in such an organization,” he was quoted by Sabah as telling a group of youngsters at the Presidential National Library on Turkey’s Youth and Sports Day, accusing the Nordic countries of harboring Kurdish separatists, who “hang their rags everywhere.”

“We do not intend to be stung again. Those who entered in the past entered. It has Germany and France… Greece and France already went in and out. But unfortunately, the administration in Turkey of that period paved the way for them and they returned to NATO again. What happened when they came back? For example, the US established a base in Alexandroupoli. The FETO terrorist organization is traveling to Europe via Greece,” Erdogan said.

“Greece owes 400 billion euros to the West, yet the West still gives them arms support,” he added.