The Turkish presidency's communication office stated today, Sunday, that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a phone call with his American counterpart Joe Biden, during which they discussed Sweden's efforts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Erdogan told Biden that "Stockholm has taken steps in the right direction for Ankara to approve its request for joining the alliance," referring to an anti-terrorism law, but added that these steps are not sufficient as supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party continue to organize protests in Sweden.
The presidency's statement noted that the two presidents also discussed the delivery of F-16 fighter jets and Ukraine's status in NATO during the call. The statement added that "the leaders agreed to meet face to face in Vilnius to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues in detail." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg mentioned that he will hold a meeting between Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius tomorrow, Monday. Meanwhile, the White House highlighted President Joe Biden's desire to welcome Sweden as a NATO member as soon as possible.
