Speaking on the eve of a three-day NATO summit in Vilnius, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Türkiye expects Sweden to fulfill its promises made under last year’s Madrid memorandum for its alliance bid
"How can Türkiye trust a country where terrorists roam its streets?" asks Turkish President Erdogan, citing Sweden's history of tolerating and even supporting terror groups. / Photo: AA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Türkiye expects Sweden to fulfill its promises made under last year’s Madrid memorandum for its NATO bid, citing a pact signed with Türkiye, Norway, and Sweden at a NATO summit. Speaking at a military graduation ceremony in Istanbul on Friday, Erdogan criticised Sweden for embracing terrorists despite its pledges, saying: “How can a state that does not distance itself from terrorist organizations contribute to NATO?”"Very few NATO allies have made the contributions to the NATO alliance that Türkiye has in the last last 71 years," he added, referring to Ankara’s longstanding membership in the alliance, since 1952.
Turkish leaders, however, have stressed that the security concerns about Sweden are not to be taken lightly, and that its membership could go forward when those concerns are satisfied, not before.
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