NATO Supports Turkey's Aspiration to Join EU, Says Stoltenberg

The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, announced that NATO supports Turkey's ambition to become a member of the European Union, but this intention should not hinder the alliance’s acceptance of Sweden as a member.

He emphasized that while he supports Ankara's aspiration, it is necessary to remember the agreement between Turkey and NATO signed in Madrid in 2022, which includes a specific list of conditions that Sweden must fulfill to join the alliance.

Stoltenberg noted that Sweden has met those conditions. “We will work intensively to make Sweden a NATO member as soon as possible, which is very important for the security of the Baltic states,” he added.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Ankara continues to support NATO's open-door policy. He noted, however, that Turkey has not yet been able to fully endorse Sweden's accession to the alliance.

He also mentioned that the situation regarding the Kingdom would be discussed during the NATO summit scheduled to take place in July in Lithuania.