“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Sweden has taken some steps in the right direction by making changes in the anti-terrorism legislation,” read a statement from the Turkish presidency, adding that demonstrations by supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Sweden nullify Stockholm’s efforts.
Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland became a member in April, but Turkey continues to object to Sweden, accusing it of supporting groups it labels as terrorists, including the PKK. Unanimous approval by all member states is required for a new country to join NATO.
On Monday, Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will meet ahead of the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. It is considered Sweden’s last-ditch effort to gain Ankara’s approval. Erdogan said last week that Turkey will not back down from its demands.
Speaking with Biden, Erdogan also said that it was not correct to associate Turkey’s F-16 fighter jet orders with Sweden’s NATO bid. In May, Biden said that he told the Turkish president that they wanted to get the deal with Sweden done and then get back in touch over F-16 issues.
In 2019, Turkey was expelled from a program to replace NATO allies’ aircraft with more advanced systems after it acquired S-400 air and missile defense systems from Russia.
The US has slapped sanctions on Turkey over the purchase. Erdogan has continued to pursue the purchase of F-16 fighter jets and has threatened to turn closer to Russia if Washington continues blocking the sale. The acquisition has been stalled by objections from the US Congress over Turkey’s human rights record, its refusal to approve NATO enlargement, and its involvement in Syria.
Erdogan and Biden “agreed to meet face-to-face in Vilnius and discuss Turkey-US bilateral relations and regional issues in detail,” the Turkish statement said.
Erdogan also told Biden of his country’s wish to revive the EU membership process and that at the Vilnius Summit, leading European Union countries and the EU leadership will give a “true and strong” message of support for Turkey’s membership.
