Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear that his country could approve Finland’s NATO bid without doing the same for Sweden during a televised meeting with young people on Sunday, France-Presse and Agerpres reported.

“If necessary, we can send another message regarding Finland. Sweden will be shocked when we give a different message about Finland,” said the Turkish head of state, answering a question about the two northern countries’ candidacy for NATO.

This is the first time that Ankara has made it clear that it is ready to consider Finland’s candidacy for NATO separately from Sweden’s.

Turkey has blocked Sweden and Finland from joining NATO from May 2022, accusing these two countries of harboring Kurdish fighters and sympathizers that Ankara considers terrorists, especially representatives of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and their allies in northern Syria and Iraq, AFP reminds.

Turkey’s president warned on Monday that Sweden could no longer count on Ankara’s “support” after a far-right militant burned a copy of the Koran in Stockholm.

Read also:

• Tensions between Sweden and Turkey have been heightened by protests in Stockholm where the Koran was burned
• Sweden should not expect Turkey’s support in joining NATO after the demonstrations in Stockholm, Erdogan said
• The burning of the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm was financed by a journalist with ties to the Kremlin
• Turkey warns its citizens about religious intolerance in the EU and racism in the US