Sébastien Le Belzic with AFP / Photo credit: TUR PRESIDENCY / MURAT CETINMUHUR / ANADOLU AGENCY / ANADOLU AGENCY VIA AFP
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06:26, July 11, 2023
On Monday, Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Turkish President Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden’s NATO membership, which he has been blocking for more than a year. A few hours earlier, the Turkish leader had linked his support for Sweden’s candidacy for NATO to his country’s accession negotiations to the EU.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden’s NATO membership, which he has been blocking for more than a year, Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Monday, hailing ” a historic day”. “I am happy to announce that President Erdogan has agreed to forward Sweden’s accession protocol ‘to the Turkish parliament’ as soon as possible and to work with the assembly to ensure ratification,” the official said, to the outcome of a meeting with the Turkish leader and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, on the eve of a NATO summit in Vilnius.
“Finalizing Sweden’s membership in NATO is a historic step that benefits the security of all NATO allies at this critical time. It makes us all stronger and safer,” said Jens Stoltenberg. during a press conference.
“Revitalizing” Turkey-EU relations
A few hours earlier, the Turkish leader had linked his support for Sweden’s candidacy for NATO to his country’s accession negotiations to the EU. Erdogan held talks with European Council President Charles Michel in the evening, during which both agreed to “revitalize” relations between Turkey and the EU, according to the European leader. Jens Stoltenberg also indicated that Sweden had agreed “as a member of the EU, to actively support efforts aimed at reinvigorating Turkey’s EU accession process and to contribute to the modernization of the agreement EU-Turkey customs union and visa liberalisation”.
Turkey, still officially a candidate, filed its candidacy in 1987 for the European Economic Community and in 1999 for the European Union, but the EU membership negotiations started in 2005 have been stalled for several years.