The chief Swedish negotiator, Oskar Stenström, in the process of joining NATO, indicated on Thursday that Turkey has acknowledged that Sweden and Finland have taken concrete steps to address its concerns regarding their efforts to join the alliance, and that the three countries will hold further meetings.
In a press conference at NATO headquarters, following the resumption of trilateral talks, Stenström stated: "We see that Turkey has recognized that Sweden and Finland have taken concrete steps on this agreement, which is a good sign." He added, "In a small step forward, the talks have resumed, and we agreed that we will continue to meet, although I cannot specify exactly when."
For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalin, noted that "the steps being taken by Sweden and Finland to address Ankara's security concerns are positive, but they are not sufficient for Turkey to agree to their requests to join the alliance." He continued, "We have once again highlighted Turkey's concerns and expectations regarding security; the steps taken by the two countries will determine the course and speed of this issue."
