Can 'earthquake diplomacy' help NATO membership chances for Sweden and Finland?
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 8:49 pm
Can 'earthquake diplomacy' help NATO membership chances for Sweden and Finland?
https://www.euronews.com/2023/02/15/can ... nd-finland
In the hours after two massive earthquakes hit southern Turkey, the well-oiled wheels of humanitarian assistance started turning in Sweden and Finland.
The Nordic nations are locked in something of a stalemate with Ankara over their NATO memberships -- as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan holds up the process, demanding that Stockholm and Helsinki meet strict criteria before moving forward with ratification.
So could 'earthquake diplomacy' soften Turkey's stance towards the NATO applicants?
It's worked before in the region.
Back in 1999 a powerful quake hit near the Turkish city of İzmit, and the Greeks were among the first to respond with aid, despite decades of enmity between the two neighbors. A few months later when a magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit Athens, the Turks reciprocated with help.
https://www.euronews.com/2023/02/15/can ... nd-finland
In the hours after two massive earthquakes hit southern Turkey, the well-oiled wheels of humanitarian assistance started turning in Sweden and Finland.
The Nordic nations are locked in something of a stalemate with Ankara over their NATO memberships -- as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan holds up the process, demanding that Stockholm and Helsinki meet strict criteria before moving forward with ratification.
So could 'earthquake diplomacy' soften Turkey's stance towards the NATO applicants?
It's worked before in the region.
Back in 1999 a powerful quake hit near the Turkish city of İzmit, and the Greeks were among the first to respond with aid, despite decades of enmity between the two neighbors. A few months later when a magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit Athens, the Turks reciprocated with help.