 Turkey might exit NATO in six months. Allies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have acknowledged a regression in talks on NATO expansion. The Justice and Development Party said the scandal around the burning of a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm made any sort of communication with Sweden meaningless. Meanwhile, there has been speculation since last year that Sweden and Finland may join NATO separately. And opposition media outlets in Ankara said Turkish officials had been deliberately sending mixed signals to their counterparts in the two Scandinavian countries. Deputy leader of the patriotic party, Etem Sanjak, said Turkey might withdraw from the North Atlantic Alliance in five to six months. He was echoed by Erdogan's ally in the parliamentary coalition, Turkey's nationalist movement party leader, Devlet Bahçeli. Professor Togrul Ismail from Ankara University reminded that there have always been calls for Turkey to exit NATO and US policy is one of the reasons why. Let's take a realistic look at the situation. Does Turkey have to leave NATO? Membership there means lower defense costs and improved military technology and gear. Moreover, it gives protection from both external enemies and forces within NATO. The expert argues staying in the alliance also means protection from attacks and makes it possible to maintain the country's independence he added. Commenting on the potential outcome of the negotiations on accession to NATO, Ismail said everything would depend solely on Sweden. In his turn, Vladimir Frolov, who specializes in international relations, said that a synchronized accession to the bloc, something the US has been seeking for Sweden and Finland, is connected with the level of defense and activities in the Baltic. The expert proposed waiting for the results of the general elections in Turkey, which local officials say may be held this spring.