Turkey, Sweden agree to hold more talks on NATO bid ahead of summit

Turkey and Sweden have agreed to hold more talks for the latter's NATO bid as the fourth meeting on a joint permanent mechanism between the bloc, Turkey, Sweden and Finland concluded in Ankara.

At the meeting, which came when Sweden was seeking membership approval at the NATO summit in July, participants evaluated the progress on the Nordic country's commitments for its NATO bid and agreed upon taking subsequent concrete steps, the Turkish presidency said on Wednesday in a statement after the meeting.

Earlier on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey will only admit Sweden's NATO bid in the upcoming Vilnius summit if the latter takes concrete steps to prevent anti-Turkey "terror" activities in the country.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year but faced objections from Turkey on the grounds that the two countries harbour members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and the Gulen movement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Türkiye eventually lifted its objection to Finland earlier this year after it took "concrete steps" against such organisations, and the country went on to become NATO's 31st member in April. But Ankara maintains its veto of Sweden.

--IANS

int/khz/