Putin said he is not a direct threat, but Erdogan against Finland and Sweden in NATO. Why?

Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan has reiterated his controversial stance on the membership of Finland and Sweden in NATO- just hours after they said they would apply for membership.

Erdogan also said the two Scandinavian countries should not even try to send delegations to try to convince Turkey, a key member of the alliance, to accept their request.

Erdogan is nervous about what he sees as “the welcoming seats of Kurdish militants”.

Without the support of all NATO members, Sweden and Finland cannot join the military alliance.

On Monday, Sweden said Europe is living in a new dangerous reality, referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Finland and Sweden's decision to join the 30-member coalition is not a direct threat to Moscow -- but stressed that any kind of military infrastructure expansion would spur an answer from the Kremlin.

At a media conference Monday, Erdogan said Turkey opposes the membership of Finland and Sweden in NATO, describing Sweden as <x0himorial>” of terrorist organisations.

None of the two countries have an open attitude towards terrorist organisations. How can we trust them?”, the Turkish president said.

Turkey accuses the two Scandinavian states of cultivating members of the Kurdish Workers' Party, a group it describes as a terrorist organisation and members of Fetullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating the coup in 2016.

All states must agree to membership a new state in NATO, so Sweden and Finland are seeking Turkey's support for membership in the military alliance.

Erdogan's government has pledged to block the applications of countries that have imposed sanctions on Turkey.

In 2019 the two Scandinavian countries had imposed an embargo on arms against Ankara after its attack on Syria.

Sweden had suspended arms sales to Turkey three years earlier, following Ankara's military intervention in Syria and according to Turkish official news agency such as Finland and Sweden have rejected dozens of requests for the extradition of Kurdish militants, whom Turkey describes as terrorists.

The two countries are expected to send delegations to Ankara to try to solve the problem, but Erdogan has said they should not try.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he believes the two countries, such as Finland and Sweden, will join NATO, despite Turkey's goals.

The issue in question is expected to dominate in discussions between Blinken and his Turkish opponent in Washington on Wednesday. After encouraging the two Scandinavian countries to apply, Washington would not want to disappoint them in recent moments. / BBC/Periscope/