Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country could approve Sweden’s membership in NATO if European nations “open the way” to Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.
Erdogan, whose country has been holding off its final approval to Sweden’s NATO membership, made the comments in Ankara on Monday before departing to the alliance’s summit meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Turkey is a candidate to join the EU, but its membership bid has been stalled due to Ankara’s democratic backsliding and disputes with EU-member Cyprus. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström told public broadcaster SVT that he expects Turkey will eventually signal that it will let Sweden join the alliance, though he couldn’t say whether that would happen at the annual summit.
Billström said Sweden has fulfilled its part of a tripartite deal that Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed at last year’s NATO summit in Madrid.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
In call with Turkey's Erdogan, Biden expresses support for Sweden's NATO bidU.S. President Joe Biden expressed a desire to see Sweden join NATO 'as soon as possible' in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in which they discussed Sweden's bid to become a member of the Western alliance, the White House said on Sunday.
Read more »
Ukraine live briefing: Russia slams Azov commanders’ release from Turkey; Biden faces a divided NATOMoscow accused Kyiv and Ankara of violating a prisoner exchange agreement after five commanders from Ukraine’s Azov Brigade returned to Ukraine from Turkey, where they were held after being freed from Russian captivity.
Read more »
Outliers Turkey, Hungary threaten NATO unity in standoff with RussiaAs the alliance prepares to gather in Lithuania for a critical summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban are holding up Sweden’s accession.
Read more »
Turkey's Erdogan to host Putin, hopes for Black Sea grain deal extensionTurkey believes Ukraine deserves to become a member of NATO, Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at a press conference with Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul as the leaders expressed hope for the extension of the Black Sea grain deal
Read more »
Putin Cheated by Erdogan RIGHT After Announcing Turkey TripThe Kremlin accused Istanbul of betraying a prisoner agreement just as Vladimir Putin announced he will be making a rare overseas trip to visit his pal, President Erdoğan.
Read more »
Erdogan, Biden hold call, discuss Sweden's NATO bid, Turkish presidency saysTurkey's President Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden in which they discussed Sweden's NATO bid, the Turkish presidency's communications directorate said on Sunday.
Read more »