Erdogan sets new condition for Sweden's accession to NATO

That's according to AFP, Ukrinform reports.

In this regard, Erdogan is to meet with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius today, July 10.

The President of Türkiye said that the same leaders who blocked Türkiye's EU membership want it to support Sweden's candidacy for NATO.

"Almost all the NATO members are EU members. I now am addressing these countries, which are making Türkiye wait for more than 50 years, and I will address them again in Vilnius," Erdogan told a televised media appearance.

"First, open the way to Türkiye's membership of the European Union, and then we will open it for Sweden, just as we had opened it for Finland."

Erdogan added that "this is what I told" to U.S. President Joe Biden during the two presidents' phone call on Sunday.

The leader of Türkiye has previously expressed frustration with what he calls Sweden's failure to fulfill its promise to deal with Kurdish militants who are allegedly "roaming the streets" of Stockholm.

As reported, in June, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after a meeting with President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul that Sweden had fulfilled its obligations to join the Alliance.

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