Turkey surprised many Nato allies on Monday by saying it would not support membership for Sweden and Finland after the two countries took the widely anticipated step of agreeing to apply to join the US-led alliance this week.

“Statements from Turkey have very quickly changed and become harder during the last few days,” Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said during an address to Sweden’s parliament. “But I am sure that, with the help of constructive discussions, we will solve the situation.”

Niinisto said he talked by telephone with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan a month ago and that the message then had been supportive of Finnish and Swedish membership in Nato.

“But in the last week he has said ‘not favourable’,” Niinisto said. “That means we have to continue our discussions. I am optimistic.”

Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will travel to the United States to meet US President Joe Biden on Thursday to discuss the applications, the three administrations said separately on Tuesday.

Niinisto said quick ratification by the United States could smooth the path toward membership for the two Nordic neighbours, who joined the European Union together in 1995.

“If you have a quick process there, it helps the whole process and the timetable for the whole process,” Niinisto told a news conference with Andersson in Stockholm.

Both countries are due to submit their formal applications on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the White House said the administration was confident Nato can reach consensus about the bids.

“We know there’s a lot of support for Sweden and Finland to join Nato,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Dialogue

Turkey says Sweden and Finland harbour individuals linked to groups it deems terrorists, namely the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and followers of Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Saturday, ahead of talks with her Turkish counterpart at a Nato meeting in Berlin, that Sweden, just like the rest of the European Union, considered PKK a terrorist organisation.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Erdogan also said Turkey would oppose the Nato bids from those who imposed sanctions on it.