Finland says timeout needed in talks with Turkey over NATO bid

Finland's foreign minister on Tuesday told Reuters a timeout of a few weeks is needed in the talks between Finland, Sweden and Turkey regarding the two Nordic nations' plans to join the NATO military alliance.

"A timeout is needed before we return to the three-way talks and see where we are when the dust has settled after the current situation, so no conclusions should be drawn yet," Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told Reuters in a telephone interview. "I think there will be a break for a couple of weeks," he added.

Turkey's president on Monday said Sweden should not expect his country's support for NATO membership after a protest near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at the weekend including the burning of a copy of the Koran.

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