Sweden’s joining NATO linked with Turkey’s EU membership – Erdoğan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday said the European Union “must open the way” for Turkey to join the bloc before the Turkish parliament agrees to Sweden joining NATO, Reuters reported.

 

Before leaving for the NATO summit in Vilnius, Erdoğan said that Sweden’s accession to NATO depends on fulfilling the terms of the agreement signed last summer at the alliance’s Madrid summit, adding that no one should expect any compromise from Ankara.

 

He also said that ending the war between Ukraine and Russia would make it easier for Kyiv to join NATO.