2023-07-10 13:46:22
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Monday that he will maintain the veto on Sweden’s entry into NATO ahead of the organization’s summit to be held this week in Vilnius, Lithuania. After a year denouncing Sweden’s anti-terrorist policy as the main reason for the blockade, Erdogan has now linked the veto on Stockholm with the reactivation of the process for Turkey’s accession to the EU.
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“First pave the way for Turkey in the EU and then let us pave the way for Sweden, just like we did with Finland,” the president said at the Istanbul airport shortly before taking off for the NATO summit. “Turkey has been waiting at the door of the EU for 50 years and practically all NATO member states are now members of the EU,” he added.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has responded to Erdogan by pointing out that Sweden has already fulfilled all the requirements agreed in Madrid to lift the veto on its accession. “I support Turkey’s ambitions to become a member of the EU, but it must be remembered that what we agreed in Madrid was a specific list of conditions for Sweden to become a member of the alliance. And Sweden has met those conditions: like removing arms export restrictions, strengthening cooperation with Turkey in the fight against terrorism, and has amended its anti-terror laws.” A year ago in Madrid, Finland, Sweden and Turkey signed an agreement setting out the necessary steps for Ankara to lift the blockade, all of them related to the fight against terrorism. Türkiye lifted the ban on Finland last March.
On Monday, Erdogan is scheduled to meet Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss Sweden’s accession process in a last-ditch attempt to reach an agreement before the official start. from the summit “It is still possible to have a positive decision. We have the momentum of the summit, but we don’t have any security or any guarantee,” Stoltenberg said.
US President Joe Biden confirmed Sunday to CNN which is committed to reaching an agreement with Turkey to sell it the F-16 combat aircraft in exchange for facilitating Sweden’s entry into NATO. “Türkiye is looking at the modernization of the F-16 fleet and [el primer ministro griego] Mitsotakis is also looking for some help. What I’m trying to do, frankly, is to reach some kind of consensus where we strengthen NATO in terms of the military capabilities of both Greece and Turkey and allow Sweden in. But it is at stake. It’s not closed”.
Turkey was expelled from the F-35 fighter jet program – in which it had invested 1.4 billion dollars – for the purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile system. As compensation, Turkey has been seeking facilities for the purchase of 40 F-16 aircraft from Washington for yearsbut Congress must approve the operation.
On Sunday, Biden and Erdogan spoke by phone and the Turkish president acknowledged that “Sweden has taken some steps in the right direction,” according to reported the office of the Turkish president.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also rejected Erdogan’s request regarding the EU. “Sweden meets all the requirements for NATO membership. The other issue is not related to it,” Scholz said.
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