Gothenburg, Sweden (CNN)-- At the Kurdish Fine Arts Association on the outskirts of Gothenburg, Nawzad Bahir and his neighbors were preparing for their summer carnival.

"It's our local highlight; a chance to celebrate our culture," Bahir beamed, before conceding that the celebrations felt bittersweet this year, now that Sweden's Kurdish community has found itself caught up in the country's biggest foreign policy decision in generations.

"It's not a comfortable position to be in," he sighed, speaking to CNN last month.

On May 18, Sweden and Finland decided to join NATO, the world's most powerful military alliance, citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a turning point after decades of neutrality. 

The Nordic nations' applications initially appeared on track to gain the unanimous support they needed from all 30 NATO members.

Then they hit a snag: resistance from Turkey. President Recep Tayip Erdogan accused the countries of harboring "terrorist" organizations that he claims threaten his country's security, in particular Kurds from Turkey and elsewhere -- campaigning for a land of their own.