Erdogan presses for Türkiye's EU membership to ratify Sweden's NATO bid

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he will urge the NATO summit to open a path for Ankara's EU membership so Türkiye paves the way for Sweden's NATO membership.

"I am calling out to the countries that have kept Türkiye waiting at the EU gate for more than 50 years," Erdogan said on Monday before he departed for Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, to attend a NATO summit.

"First, let's pave the way for Türkiye in the EU, and then we will pave the way for Sweden just as we did for Finland."

Erdogan also reiterated that Sweden's NATO membership depends on the fulfilment of issues mentioned in the last year's tripartite agreement signed in Madrid during a NATO summit.

Erdogan had previously voiced frustrations with what he calls Sweden's failure to keep its promise to deal with PKK terrorists and sympathisers "roaming the streets" of Stockholm.

Türkiye first applied to be a member of the European Economic Community -- a predecessor to the EU -- in 1987.

It became an EU candidate country in 1999 and formally launched membership negotiations with the bloc in 2005. The talks stalled in 2016 due to various reasons.

Ukraine to dominate NATO summit

The two-day summit of NATO leaders starting on July 10 will address the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, its challenges to NATO, and steps to strengthen the military alliance's defence and deterrence. Sweden's bid to join NATO bid will be also on the agenda.

On the sidelines of the summit, Erdogan is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts, including US President Joe Biden.

Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership soon after the start of Russia-Unkraine conflict in February 2022. Although Türkiye approved Finland's membership to NATO, it is waiting for Sweden to fulfill its commitments under the last year's tripartite agreement signed in Madrid during a NATO summit.

Previously, Erdogan underlined that Sweden cannot hope to join NATO as long as it gives shelter and a green light to terrorists and supporters of terrorists.

To join NATO, Sweden needs the approval of all of its current members, including Türkiye, which has been in the alliance for over 70 years and boasts its second-largest army.