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Tag: bid

  • Erdoğan says Turkey won’t support Sweden’s NATO bid

    Erdoğan says Turkey won’t support Sweden’s NATO bid

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    Sweden should not expect Turkey’s support for its NATO membership bid, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday following tensions over anti-Islam protests in Stockholm over the weekend.

    He said at a press conference that if Sweden does not show respect to Turkey or Muslims, “they won’t see any support from us on the NATO issue.”

    The statement follows protests against Turkey and in support of Kurds on Saturday in the Swedish capital, where anti-immigrant politician Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, burned a copy of the Quran near the Turkish embassy.

    Erdoğan said Monday the burning was an insult, especially to Muslims, and criticized Sweden for allowing pro-Kurdish protests where demonstrators waved flags including those of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK. The PKK is considered a terrorist group in Turkey, the European Union and the United States, but Sweden does not ban its symbols.

    “So you will let terror organizations run wild on your avenues and streets and then expect our support for getting into NATO. That’s not happening,” Erdoğan said. Sweden should have calculated the consequences of permitting the demonstration, he added.

    Over the weekend, Turkey condemned the demonstration as “vile” and canceled a planned visit by Sweden’s defense chief to Ankara, intended to address Turkey’s objections to Sweden joining NATO.

    Ankara had already previously dragged its feet on pledging support for the accession bid, seeking conditions for approval such as the extradition of 130 political opponents from Sweden and Finland.

    Sweden has played down the dispute with Turkey over NATO accession, with Foreign Minister Tobias Billström saying in a TV interview on Sunday that the issues are nearly resolved and that Turkey is “close” to starting the ratification process, after he called the Quran-burning “appalling” in a tweet on Saturday.

    Sweden, together with Finland, decided to apply together for NATO membership in October last year. Hungary and Turkey are the only two countries that still need to ratify the joint NATO bid; Hungary last November pledged to do so.



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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

  • Gallego set to launch Senate bid, teeing up potential Sinema challenge

    Gallego set to launch Senate bid, teeing up potential Sinema challenge

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    A clash between Gallego and Sinema would inevitably turn chaotic and become one of the most highest-profile races in the country, pitting a 43-year-old former Marine and combat veteran against a 46-year-old triathlete and bipartisan deal-cutter. Sinema, in 2018, became the first Democrat to win a Senate race in the state in three decades, but Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) has won two races since with a more progressive record, suggesting there are multiple pathways for the party to win in the state.

    However, Gallego is unlikely to have uniform Democratic backing across the country, at least until Sinema makes a decision. Sinema has not yet decided whether to run for reelection and recently switched her party affiliation, though she essentially still caucuses with the Democrats.

    That puts the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and others in the caucus in an awkward position, as they determine whether to consider her an incumbent they have to defend. She’s one of three independent senators who caucuses with the Democrats.

    Sinema told local radio on Friday that people in her state are worn out from the last campaign and said she’s focused on immigration reform and other issues rather than her campaign: “I’m not really thinking about or talking about the election.

    “A never-ending focus on campaign politics is why so many people hate politics,” she told KTAR.

    The DSCC did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

    The party’s next moves after Gallego’s announcement will be critical, because Republicans are certain to contest the seat and Democrats will need to determine who is the most viable candidate to defeat a GOP contender. Both Kari Lake and Blake Masters, the 2022 nominees in the gubernatorial and Senate races, are among Arizona Republicans seen as potential contenders for the seat.

    Gallego’s imminent Senate launch was first reported by Newsweek.

    Ally Mutnick contributed to this report.

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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )