Swedish PM seeks Turkey backing for NATO membership

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was due to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday in a top-level bid to persuade Turkey to drop its opposition to Sweden joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Sweden and Finland abandoned their long-standing policy of military non-alignment and in May applied to join the transatlantic alliance.

But Turkey has stalled ratification of their bids — which require unanimous approval from NATO's 30 members — accusing the Nordic nations, and especially Sweden, of providing a safe haven for outlawed Kurdish militants that Ankara says are "terrorists."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sought last week to strengthen the new applicants' hand by personally traveling to Ankara to argue their case.

"It's time to welcome Finland and Sweden as full members of NATO. Their accession will make our alliance stronger and our people safer," he said.

Stoltenberg stressed that Sweden and Finland had agreed in June to concessions, including addressing Turkey's request for "terror suspects" to be deported or extradited.

"Finland and Sweden have delivered on their agreement to Turkey," Stoltenberg said, adding that bringing them into the NATO fold was important "to send a clear message to Russia."