Turkish Intelligence Officials to Be Present at Meeting With Sweden, Finland, Reports Say

ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkish intelligence representatives will be included in the country's delegation at the forthcoming meeting with Sweden and Finland scheduled to take place in Helsinki on August 26, Turkish news agency Anadolu reported on Saturday.

The Turkish delegation will be headed by presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, according to the news agency. In addition to intelligence officials, the Turkish delegation will also include representatives of the justice, defense, foreign and interior ministries, Anadolu reported.

The meeting will focus on the accession of the two Scandinavian countries to NATO within the framework of a joint mechanism established under the tripartite memorandum signed in late June.

In mid-May, three months since the onset of the Ukraine crisis, Finland and Sweden submitted their NATO membership applications, abandoning decades of neutrality and citing a shift in the security situation in Europe. The consideration of the bids was initially blocked by Turkey due to Helsinki and Stockholm's long-standing support of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara regards as a terrorist organization and a threat to its national security.

On June 28, Turkey, Sweden and Finland signed a security memorandum that unblocked the beginning of negotiations on the accession of the two Scandinavian countries to the alliance. The parties agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, including measures against the PKK, and address Ankara's concerns.