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AP-National

NATO chief presses Turkey to advance Sweden’s membership application.

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Published 4:39 AM

By LORNE COOK
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is pressing Turkey to quickly ratify Sweden’s membership in the military organization. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said three months ago that he would help hasten the process in the Turkish parliament. Stoltenberg told The Associated Press on Thursday that “many allies would like to see speedy progress.” Sweden decided to seek protection under NATO’s security umbrella after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. But Turkey withheld its approval, alleging Sweden was too soft on Kurdish militants. As part of a deal with Erdogan, Stoltenberg appointed a new anti-terror coordinator. Turkey’s defense minister told his NATO counterparts that Ankara plans to live up to its side of the bargain. It’s unclear when.

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