Finland should lift the arms embargo on Ankara as a condition for providing support to Turkey on its bid for NATO membership. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said this, Reuters reports.

Finland and Sweden have asked to join NATO, but longtime member Turkey has refused to support their request until a number of requirements are met, including taking a tougher stance on Kurdish rebels and lifting the ban on arms sales.

Although Sweden lifted the embargo in September, originally imposed by both countries in 2019 in response to Ankara's invasion of northern Syria, Finland did not follow suit.

It's important that Finland's defense minister is coming to Turkey, Cavusoglu said, referring to the visit scheduled for Dec. 8.

Ankara has accused Northern European countries, mainly Sweden, of harboring people it considers terrorists, including members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen's movement, which it blames for the 2016 failed coup.

Ankara has demanded that Stockholm extradite some of these people. Turkey said Sweden's extradition of a Kurd over the weekend was a good start, but warned that more needs to be done.

Cavusoglu said Tuesday that Ankara has not requested the man's extradition, and it still awaits the extradition of a number of individuals and the confiscation of their assets.