Skip to Content

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

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.

Article Topic Follows: AP-National

Jump to comments ↓

Associated Press

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content