Turkey not backing down from threats to block Sweden, Finland from NATO
Following a call with NATO's chief, Erdogan is showing no signs of backing off in the standoff over Sweden and Finland’s bids to join the alliance.
![Turkey's President and leader of the Justice and Development Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan.](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/2022-06/GettyImages-1240741417.jpeg?h=efb3fb8f&itok=n036YV7E)
Turkey shows no signs of backing down in the continuing standoff over Sweden's and Finland’s bids to join NATO in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted in a telephone call with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that the Nordic countries had to take “concrete steps” toward membership in the Western security alliance.