President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan On Monday, he added to the list of demands he wants to meet in return for finally supporting Stockholm’s accession to NATO.
Speaking just hours before he met with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to discuss Sweden’s bid to join the military alliance, Erdogan suggested whether the EU wanted Sweden in NATO You must let Turkey in European Union.
Membership talks between the bloc and Ankara began in 2005, but were suspended indefinitely in 2016, after years of democratic backsliding, human rights abuses and provocations under Erdogan.
How did Germany respond to Erdogan’s offer of exchange between the EU and NATO?
He said, “Almost all NATO members are members of the European Union, and I am now addressing these countries, which have been making Turkey wait for more than 50 years, and I will address them again. [at the NATO summit] in Vilnius. First, it opened the way for Turkey’s membership in the European Union, and after that we will open it for Sweden, as we opened it for Finland.
Erdogan claimed that he “said the same thing” to US President Joe Biden When they spoke by phone on Sunday, though, a White House readout of the call showed no reference to Turkey’s European Union membership.
In response to the news of the new demands of Ankara, the German Chancellor Olaf Schulz Speaking in Berlin on Monday, he said Sweden’s NATO membership should not be linked to Turkey’s stalled bid to join the European Union: “Sweden meets all the requirements for NATO membership. The other question is one that is not related to it. That’s why I don’t. I think it should.” View it as a related issue.”
List of demands of Sweden, NATO and Erdogan
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson plans to meet Erdogan on Monday in a last-ditch effort to bridge the gaps on the issue Stockholm’s desire to join NATO.
Last month , Erdogan reiterated his frustrations In what he says is Sweden’s failure to deliver on its promise to deal with suspected Kurdish fighters allegedly “roaming the streets” of Stockholm. Erdogan says this hinders Sweden’s hopes of joining NATO.
Erdogan’s office quoted the Turkish leader as telling Biden on Sunday that Sweden had taken some steps in the right direction.
But Erdogan said Sweden’s decision to allow pro-Kurdish groups to “freely organize demonstrations praising terrorism invalidates those steps”.
Hungary is also tepid to Sweden’s membership
Erdogan’s position is supported by the Kremlin-friendly Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The only two NATO members still stand in the way of the unanimous ratification needed for Sweden to become the 32nd member of the US-led bloc.
Hungary has strongly hinted that it will follow Erdogan’s example and accept Sweden’s membership if Turkey gives it the green light.
The talks between the leaders of Sweden and Turkey will take place on the eve of the fourth NATO summit to be held since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, comes as NATO tries to stave off any potential splits, with analysts suggesting the Kremlin is using its ties with Turkey to drive a wedge between the allies. Westerners.
It seems that the NATO summit will be dominated by how the alliance will see its future relationship with Ukraine, amid repeated calls by President Volodymyr Zelensky for Kiev. to become a member.
jsi, js / jcg (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)
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