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Delegations from Sweden and were scheduled on Wednesday to hold talks in Ankara with senior officials in an effort to overcome Turkey's objections to their historic bids to join the alliance.

Sweden and FinlandÌýsubmitted their written applications to join NATOÌýlast week in a move that marks one of the biggest geopolitical ramifications ofÌýRussia’s war in UkraineÌý–Ìýand which could rewrite Europe's security map.

Turkey has said it opposesÌýthe two Nordic countries'Ìýmembership in the military alliance, citing grievances with Sweden's –Ìýand a to a lesser extent Finland's –Ìýperceived support to the Kurdistan Workers'ÌýParty, or PKK, and other entities that Turkey views as a security threat.

It also accuses the two of imposing arms exports restrictions on Turkey and refusing to extradite suspected "terrorists".

Turkey's objections have dampened Stockholm's and Helsinki’s hopes for their quick membership in NATO amid Russia's brutalÌýinvasion of Ukraine and puts the trans-Atlantic alliance's credibility at stake. All 30 NATO membersÌýmust agreeÌýto admit new members.

The Swedish and Finnish delegations are poised to take up Turkey’s grievances with Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal.

The Swedish delegation would be headed by state secretary Oscar Stenström while Jukka Salovaara, the foreign ministry undersecretary, would lead the Finnish delegation, Turkish officials have said.

The PKK, which is listed as a terror organisation by Turkey and several of itsÌýallies, has waged a decades-long insurgency against Turkey, a conflict that has cost the lives of tens of thousands people.

Speaking Tuesday before a meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Russia had left Sweden and Finland "no choice"Ìýbut to join NATO.

She said Germany would support the two countries'Ìýmembership, calling it "a real gain"Ìýfor the military alliance.

Turkey this week listed five "concrete assurances"Ìýit is demanding from Sweden, including what it said was "termination of political support for terrorism",Ìýan "elimination of the source of terrorism financing",Ìýand the "cessation of arms support"Ìýto the banned PKK and a Syrian Kurdish militia group affiliated with it.

The demands also called for the lifting of arms sanctions against Turkey and global cooperation against terrorism.

In another call, Erdogan told Finnish President Sauli Niinisto that failing to deal with terrorist organisations that posed a threat to a NATO ally would not suit the spirit of alliance, Ankara said

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Turkey said that it has been requesting the extradition of Kurdish militants and other suspects since 2017, but hasn’t received a positive response from Stockholm.

Among other things, Ankara claimed that had decided to provide $376 million to support the Kurdish militants in 2023 and that it had provided military equipment to them, including anti-tank weapons and drones.

Sweden has denied that it was providing any "financial assistance or military support"Ìýto Kurdish groups or entities in Syria.

"Sweden is a major humanitarian donor to the Syria crisis through global allocations to humanitarian actors,"ÌýForeign Minister Ann Linde told the Aftonbladet newspaper.

"Cooperation in northeastern Syria is carried out primarily through the United Nations and international organizations,"Ìýshe said. "Sweden doesn't provide targeted support to Syrian Kurds or to the political or military structures in northeastern Syria, but the population in these areas is, of course, taking part in these aid projects."