SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 18 April 2024, Thursday |

Erdogan to meet Swedish, Finnish leaders before NATO summit

Leaders of Sweden and Finland will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the NATO Summit, said Turkish presidential spokesman on Sunday.

Both, Finland and Sweden have applied for NATO membership after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, their bids have been opposed by Turkiye. The country says that it has been angered by Sweden and Finland’s support for Kurdish militants and arms embargoes on Ankara.
Turkiye Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin was talking with broadcaster Haberturk when he said that he himself and Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal would also attend another round of talks with Swedish and Finnish delegations on Monday (June 27)

“There will be a four-way summit at the leader level with the attendance of our president in Madrid upon the request of the NATO secretary general,” he said.
Kalin said Erdogan attending the talks with Sweden, Finland and NATO on Tuesday “does not mean we will take a step back from our position.”

Kalin said Turkey and the Nordic countries had largely agreed on issues and would be in a better position in Madrid if they could agree on them during talks on Monday.

“We have brought negotiations to a certain point. It is not possible for us to take a step back here,” he also said of the talks on Monday.

    Source:
  • Wions