Turkey lifts opposition to Finland, Sweden joining NATO

MADRID AP - Finland president says Turkey agreed to lift its opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, a breakthrough in an impasse that has clouded a leaders summit in Madrid.

After talks on Tuesday, President Sauli Niinist said that the three countries signed a joint agreement. He said that Turkey will support the invitation of Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO at the Madrid Summit this week. After urgent top-level talks, alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said we now have an agreement that paves the way for Finland and Sweden to join NATO. See: NATO s Stoltenberg warns of a dangerous world as summit begins.

From the archives: NATO chief: Turkey has legitimate concerns over Kurdish terrorism.

Turkey got what it wanted, including full cooperation in the fight against Kurdish rebel groups toward which Helsinki and Stockholm have shown leniency, according to Ankara's view.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo has been critical of the lax approach of Sweden and Finland toward the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, and its Syrian extension. Turkish support for Syrian Kurdish fighters in combatting the Islamic State group has enraged Turkey for years.

Turkey has demanded that Finland and Sweden spared themselves and lift arms restrictions imposed after Turkey imposed military incursion into northeast Syria in the year 2019.

The deadlock will allow NATO leaders to focus on their key issue, an increasingly unpredictable and aggressive Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to address NATO leaders by video on Wednesday.

In Madrid, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged the alliance to provide his country with whatever it takes to stop the war.

Wake up guys. Klitschko told reporters at the summit venue that they are going to be next, this is going to be knocking on your door in the blink of an eye.

Stoltenberg said at the summit that allies of NATO will agree to increase the strength of the alliance's rapid response force by nearly eightfold, from 40,000 to 300,000 troops. The troops will be based in their home nations but dedicated to specific countries on NATO's eastern flank, where the alliance plans to build up stocks of equipment and ammunition.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted Sweden and Finland to abandon their long-held non-aligned status and apply to join NATO. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo had blocked the move, but he insists that the Nordic pair change their positions on Kurdish rebel groups that Turkey considers terrorists.

Read on: U.K. s Johnson calls for higher military spending among NATO members while the defense chief says that British armed forces are underfunded.