Turkey warns it can ‘freeze’ Sweden, Finland’s NATO process

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country can still “freeze” Sweden and Finland’s membership in NATO unless the two countries take steps that meet Ankara’s security demands. Turkey lifted its objection to Sweden and Finland joining the alliance last month. But the Turkish government warned that it would block the process if they fail to extradite suspects with links to outlawed Kurdish groups or the network of an exiled cleric accused of orchestrating a failed coup in 2016. The Nordic countries’ accession still needs to be approved by the parliaments of all 30 NATO members. Erdogan said following a Cabinet meeting Monday that the two countries need to fulfill their promises. He said Sweden in particular wasn’t “projecting a good image.”