Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has agreed to back Sweden’s bid to join NATO, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.
The Story: Erdoğan agreed to send the accession protocol to the Turkish parliament for approval, promising “ensure ratification.”
- “Sweden will become a full member of the alliance,” Stoltenberg said.
- Erdoğan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson held talks before the beginning of Tuesday’s NATO Summit.
- President Joe Biden spoke with Erdoğan while he was en route to London to begin his overseas trip.
A closer look: The news is welcomed after Turkey had maintained its objections to Sweden’s bid over views that Sweden supports Kurdish groups that Turkish leadership considers to be terrorists.
- Biden welcomed the news in a statement released late Monday. “I stand ready to work with President Erdoğan and Türkiye on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area,” he said.
