Title: Turkish President Erdogan Warns Biden of Sweden’s Insufficient Progress towards NATO Membership
Date: [Insert Date]
In a phone call on Sunday ahead of the NATO summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his concerns to U.S. President Joe Biden regarding Sweden’s application to join NATO. According to Turkey’s communications directorate, Erdogan emphasized that Ankara has not witnessed significant progress from Sweden in supporting its NATO membership bid.
While acknowledging some positive steps taken by Sweden in amending its anti-terrorism laws, Erdogan stated that demonstrations by pro-Kurdish groups, including the banned PKK and YPG, in Sweden have undermined the progress made. These ongoing demonstrations contradict the steps taken by Sweden, Erdogan’s office added.
The discussion between Erdogan and Biden took place in anticipation of the two-day NATO leaders’ summit in Lithuania, scheduled to commence on Tuesday. Biden, for his part, has expressed his support for reaching a decision on Sweden’s NATO membership during the summit in Vilnius.
Notably, Erdogan’s administration has hindered Sweden’s aspirations to join the defense alliance, blaming Stockholm for supporting Kurdish separatism. However, in contrast to earlier accusations leveled against Finland, Erdogan eventually granted approval to Helsinki’s application, and the country became a NATO member in April.
The sale of U.S. F-16 fighter jets to Turkey was also raised in the phone call between Biden and Erdogan. The Turkish president reportedly dismissed any relationship between Ankara’s request for F-16 aircraft and Sweden’s NATO membership bid.
Furthermore, Erdogan brought up Turkey’s desire to revive its European Union (EU) membership process during the conversation. He urged EU member states to convey a clear and strong message of support for Turkey’s EU bid at the NATO summit in Lithuania.
Turkey was designated as a candidate for full EU membership in 1999, but progress in the talks has stalled over the past decade. Ankara has not taken sufficient measures to meet the reform requirements set out by Brussels, leading to the impasse in negotiations.
Erdogan and Biden agreed to meet in person during the NATO summit in Vilnius to discuss bilateral relations between Turkey and the United States, as well as regional issues. The meeting aims to foster a comprehensive understanding between the two leaders on various matters of mutual interest.
The phone call between Erdogan and Biden highlights the ongoing challenges and diplomatic discussions surrounding Sweden’s NATO membership application, Turkey’s defense concerns, and its ambition to revitalize the EU membership process. As the NATO summit in Lithuania approaches, the international community awaits further updates on these significant geopolitical developments.