ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed mounting international pressure on Ankara to approve Sweden’s NATO membership bid ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in July, according to remarks released by his office on Wednesday.
Erdogan made it clear that while Sweden has expectations regarding its NATO membership, compliance cannot be guaranteed without Sweden fulfilling its own obligations. The Turkish president emphasized that Sweden must take necessary actions for Turkey to consider meeting these expectations.
Sweden, along with its neighboring country Finland, recently ended decades of military non-alignment and applied to join the US-led defense bloc in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While Turkey and fellow NATO member Hungary have ratified Finland’s NATO membership this year, the approval process for Sweden’s entry has encountered delays, causing concern among Western nations.
Biden Discusses Sweden’s NATO Membership with Erdogan
US President Joe Biden addressed the issue of Sweden’s NATO membership during a phone call with Erdogan following the Turkish leader’s re-election last month. Additionally, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg discussed Sweden’s bid during a recent meeting with Erdogan in Istanbul.
During the conversation, Erdogan highlighted the coincidence of Stoltenberg’s visit with a protest in Stockholm organized by Kurdish supporters of a group recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey. In response, Turkey is urging Sweden to take strict measures to ban and suppress such rallies.
Erdogan emphasized that Sweden should utilize the law enforcement rights granted to them under their constitution. He made it clear that if Sweden fails to address these concerns, Turkey cannot endorse Sweden’s membership bid at the upcoming summit in Vilnius.
