ISTANBUL: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will meet with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania, Tayyip Erdogan’s office said on Sunday.
In a statement, the Turkish presidency said the discussion between the two leaders would focus on “Sweden’s NATO membership, Ukraine’s position in NATO, and the delivery of F-16” jets, which Ankara hopes to secure from Washington”. However, the office of the Turkish President did not provide any details about the time of the meeting.
Biden, Erdogan to Meet at NATO Summit in Lithuania
The two-day summit will start on Tuesday in Lithuania. The summit will be preceded by talks Monday between Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Erdogan, AFP reported. The Prime Minister of Sweden will convince President Erdogan to lift Ankara’s objections to Sweden becoming member of NATO.
Erdogan’s office said it was not accurate to link Ankara’s desire to acquire F-16 jets, which need the approval of the US Congress, with Sweden’s membership bid.
AFP reported that President Biden himself linked the two matters in a call he placed to President Erdogan following the Turkish leader’s 28 re-election. President Erdogan “still wishes to work on something on the F-16s,” President Biden told the media after the call.
President Erdogan also reaffirmed his longstanding stance Sunday that Sweden still required to crack down harder on suspected Kurdish militants to win Ankara’s support.
