Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom ahead of the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, November 28, 2023. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
BRUSSELS, Nov 29 (Reuters) – Turkey has told Sweden it expects to ratify its long-delayed accession to the NATO military alliance within weeks, Sweden’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Sweden and Finland asked to join NATO last year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is a NATO member, raised objections over what he said was the two countries’ protection of groups that Ankara deems terrorists.
Turkey endorsed Finland’s membership bid in April, but has kept Sweden waiting.
“I had a bilateral with my colleague, the (Turkish) foreign minister … where he told me that he expected the ratification to take place within weeks,” Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told reporters before the second day of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
There was no immediate confirmation or comment by Turkey.
Turkey has demanded that Sweden take more steps to rein in local…
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