There are many ways of saying 'No'.
Sweden attempted a rather clever but unsuccessful ploy to say no to America and Europe about backtracking from joining NATO.
The earlier Swedish government under great pressure from the United States made a bid to join NATO without the consent of their parliament and the people. A move that made no political, economic nor military sense at all for Sweden whilst making an enemy out of Russia.
The new Swedish regime being even less keen than the previous regime and wanted to opt out of the commitment. Rather than offend Europeans and America by withdrawing from their bid, Sweden precipitated a crisis designed to surely offend the Muslim world of which Turkey is a leading nation.
The Swedish government in a way encouraged the burning of a copy of the Quran in front of a mosque and let it be widely broadcast on mainstream and social media, citing freedom of expression.
No doubt there was great anger and calls for swift retribution to the offenders even in Turkey.
Sweden was sure that Turkey would blackball them and refuse admission to Sweden into NATO, and the Swedes would have their cake and eat it too.
Surprisingly Turkey at the latest NATO summit held in Vilnius (Lithuania) on 11th and 12th July 2023, voted to admit Sweden into NATO.
Wily President Erdogan, the Turkish leader, played his cards very skilfully placing his country's rational needs higher than irrational religious sentiments and extracted several pounds of flesh for his vital support to America and NATO.
Turkey was able to pressurise America to agree to supply the long held up supplies of 40 of the latest F-16 combat aircraft. It was also able to pressurise both America and Europe to agree to proceed with the 36 year old pending bid of Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU).
He also held out the hope to the West that he was willing to reconsider his neutral stance against Russia and become less friendly towards them.
The episode shows how politicians think and act to achieve their strategic and tactical goals, of which the skilful Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a brilliant example.
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