Türkiye has yet to 'green light' Sweden's NATO membership

On July 6, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg said that Türkiye has not yet "given the green light" for Sweden to join the military alliance during a trilateral meeting held the same day in Brussels (Belgium), but the parties agreed to meet again on July 10 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Speaking after the meeting, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg assessed that the meeting between him and representatives of Sweden and Turkey was "productive", and expressed optimism about the prospect of Sweden becoming a member of NATO. He added that he would hold a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson before the NATO Summit, scheduled to take place in Lithuania on July 11-12. According to the head of NATO, Sweden has shown goodwill by making adjustments according to Turkey's requests such as amending the Constitution and introducing a new bill on counter-terrorism, lifting restrictions on arms exports to Ankara... For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan acknowledged Sweden's adjustments, but stressed that these adjustments need to be linked to practical actions. Mr. Fidan stated that countries wishing to join NATO must have a firm stance in the fight against terrorism.

Meanwhile, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom assessed that the meeting had made progress and the country expected "a positive decision next week".

Sweden and Finland moved forward with NATO membership procedures last year, but Turkey has objected to their harboring of members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a terrorist group, and members of the Gulen movement, which Ankara blames for a failed coup in Turkey in 2016. NATO membership requires ratification by the parliaments of all 30 current members of the military bloc. Finland became NATO's 31st member in April after the Turkish parliament approved it at the end of the month.

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