Stoltenberg says Erdogan will support Sweden’s bid to join NATO

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to submit Sweden’s application for NATO membership to the country’s parliament, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. About it writes Reuters.

“I am pleased to announce that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol of Sweden to the Grand National Assembly as soon as possible and work closely with the assembly to secure ratification,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference.

The secretary general of the alliance did not name the exact date when the Turkish parliament will ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO.

Sweden, in turn, promised Turkey not to support the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the paramilitary organizations of the Syrian Kurds YPG / PYD and Feto preacher Fethullaz Gülen, recognized by Ankara as terrorists, Turkish TV channel TRT Haber reports.

Sweden, along with Finland, applied for NATO membership four months after the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine in February 2022. In April, Helsinki officially became the 31st member of the military bloc. At the same time, Ankara still opposes Sweden’s entry into the alliance, as it believes that Stockholm supports terrorists, including PKK activists. According to the charter of the organization, the consent of all its members is required for the admission of new states to NATO.

Earlier, Erdogan said that Turkey needs to open the way to the European Union, in return Ankara will unblock Sweden’s way to NATO. Stoltenberg noted that he supports Ankara’s membership in the EU. However, in his opinion, Sweden has already fulfilled the conditions necessary for joining NATO.