Erdogan Urges Sweden to Fulfill Promises for NATO Application
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met with Turkish journalists upon his return from a three-day trip, including a visit to Saudi Arabia. During the meeting, Erdogan was asked about Sweden’s application to join NATO. According to the government-loyal newspaper Daily Sabah, Erdogan expects Sweden to fulfill the “promises and guarantees” made to Turkey in order for their NATO application to be ratified.
“We will take measures in accordance with the measures they take,” Erdogan stated, emphasizing that it would benefit Sweden to take concrete measures in combating terrorism and extraditing terrorists, which are sensitive issues for Turkey.
Erdogan also stated that Turkey is closely monitoring how Sweden implements its “promises and guarantees”. At the NATO summit in Vilnius last week, Erdogan pledged to forward Sweden’s application to the Turkish parliament for approval “as soon as possible”. However, he did not provide a specific date for the decision, mentioning that it would likely occur when parliament reopens after the summer recess in October.
Despite this timeline, the Swedish government hopes to convene an extra parliament session during the summer to expedite Sweden’s full NATO membership.
Among the NATO member states, only Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify Sweden’s application. This highlights the significance of Erdogan’s comments and the potential impact they may have on Sweden’s NATO ambitions.
It remains to be seen how Sweden will respond to Erdogan’s call for action, as the country balances its own security concerns with the need for international cooperation in the fight against terrorism.