Erdogan to hold talks with leaders of Sweden, Finland before NATO summit
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to attend a round of talks with the leaders of Sweden and Finland, in addition to NATO on Tuesday ahead of the alliance’s summit in Madrid, Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said Sunday.
The two Nordic countries applied for NATO membership following Russia’s offensive on Ukraine. However, their applications have been met with opposition from Turkey, which wants Sweden and Finland to sever all ties with the Syrian Kurdish groups and lift the arm embargos imposed on Ankara.
Speaking to broadcaster Haberturk, the spokesperson said he and Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal would also attend a round of talks with Swedish and Finnish delegations in Brussels on Monday.
“There will be a four-way summit in Madrid at the leader level in Madrid upon the request of the NATO secretary-general with the attendance of our president,” he said.
Kalin stressed that Erdogan’s attending the talks with Sweden, Finland and NATO does not mean that Turkey would concede its position. Nevertheless, he stated that Turkey and the two countries have managed to establish a common ground on many issues.
“We have brought negotiations to a certain point. It is not possible for us to take a step back here,” he said of the talks on Monday.
NATO leaders will meet in Madrid on June 29-30. Any application to join NATO must be unanimously approved by all its 30 members. Turkey has been a NATO ally for more than 70 years and has the alliance’s second biggest army.