of the head of NATO is in Turkey but disaster relief isn’t the only item on Jen stoltenberg’s agenda he’s also trying to convince turkey to ratify Sweden and finland’s session to Nato applications to join must be approved by all member countries and Ankara isn’t yet on board well for more on this let’s get analysis from our Europe Regional editor Paul Moss um Paul a sort of strange time to be to be going to Turkey and trying to get answers on this it certainly is isn’t it we’ve just had you know we’ve seen the pictures just earlier the worst disaster for a long time unfolding and yes turkey would expect visitors from abroad but perhaps you know doctors and nurses search and rescue teams not the head of a military Alliance now as we heard Jin stoltenberg did talk about the earthquake and say that he was dreadfully sorry for what happened and talked about what NATO was doing but we all know the real reason he’s there he said he wants an answer now is the time for Finland and Sweden to join NATO and he seemed to be trying to be ingratiating he said I do understand the the doubts that turkey has turkey fears or says that Sweden is allowing Kurdish separatists Kurdish terrorists to operate there yes Mr stoltenberg said he understands that I think he said turkey has suffered more than any other NATO country from terrorism but now is the time but that didn’t seem to convince the foreign I think we can hear a little of what he had to say financing of terrorism and recruits for terrorism and also propaganda for terrorism these were all to be eliminated and prevented the law has been amended but the same activities of pkkypd are continuing okay so Paul what do you make of that well in some ways Mr Cheverly wasn’t saying anything new but I’m struck first of all by the tone the fact that he’s standing there next to Yen stalton book who’s come specially and really reiterated exactly the same no compromise there also that Sweden has made some changes last month Sweden changed its constitution in an effort to appease turkey it will now be able to stop people associating who it deems to be supporting terrorism this was clearly aimed at the alleged Kurdish terrorists in its territory and that did have some opposition in Sweden I should say the government had to overcome a lot of people who were worried that peaceful Advocates of turquoise Independence would be caught up in this some of those Kurdish groups are fighting Islamic State and there were worries in Sweden that they would be swept up but no matter the Constitution was changed but as we heard this was not enough for Mr trevasholyu who insists that Sweden continues to be a supporter of terrorism He also mentioned the fact that the Quran had been burned in Sweden this was actually by Danish politician but the fact this had even been permitted for him was a step too far so the question then is what happens now because they’re okay with Finland it’s Sweden they have a problem yes I mean that’s the first thing I should say that turkey once again said maybe Finland could join on its own as for Sweden it’s really hard to see where they go I mean there is a real gap of political cultures here another thing the foreign minister said he complained that in Sweden people were still allowed to exhibit the picture of Curtis separatist leaders well Sweden’s a liberal democracy I don’t see them Banning the display of pictures anytime soon Anthony blinken The American Secretary of State he’ll be going to Turkey next week again with this disaster still unfolding he’ll be there to talk about NATO remains to be seen whether he’ll get a different answer and one really important thing to say Mr erdogan has elections coming that that’s the president in May probably although they may be delayed parliamentary and presidential elections he’s often played the Nationalist card in the past he’s really you know sort of made this one a big issue a big dividing point with Sweden and it’s hard to see in that in that situation with voters who want him to be a tough nationalist leader for him to say well it’s okay we’ll compromise over Sweden at the moment that doesn’t seem on the cards
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