“A Historic Day”
Erdogan agreed to support Sweden’s NATO membership
The Turkish president acceded to several demands from European leaders and agreed to support Sweden after an 18-month embargo.
Published
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson shake hands next to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
YVES HERMAN/POOL/AFP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden’s membership in NATO, which he has blocked for more than a year, Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Monday, “a historic day.”
“I am happy to announce that President Erdogan has agreed to send Sweden’s accession protocol to the Turkish parliament as soon as possible and work on it in the assembly,” the official told Reuters in a meeting with Turkish President Ulf Kristerson, the Swedish prime minister, ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
Game F-16 Delivery
Americans should rejoice at this news. President Erdogan and his US counterpart Joe Biden spoke by phone on Sunday, with Ankara announcing a meeting between the two in Vilnius to specifically discuss “Sweden’s accession to NATO”. During this phone interview, Joe Biden “expressed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible,” the White House noted.
For his part, the head of US diplomacy, Anthony Blinken, has met Turkish envoy Hakan Fidan three times to try to convince Ankara to lift its veto, a US official said on condition of anonymity. Turkey also wants the US to supply F-16 fighter jets. The US government supports it, but it faces opposition from elected members of Congress.
Development follows.
(AFP)
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