U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that he had a constructive conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan while they were in London. He emphasized that Turkey is an important ally and member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In a tweet, he mentioned discussing Sweden's accession to NATO.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reported that Blinken stressed the importance of NATO unity during the meeting with Fidan at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Miller added that Blinken also urged Turkey to support Sweden's joining NATO now.
Blinken welcomed Turkey’s support for Ukraine and its efforts regarding the grain deal that allows the shipment of Ukrainian exports through Black Sea ports. Blinken and Fidan were in London for a conference on Ukraine, where allies were expected to pledge billions of dollars in economic aid and reconstruction assistance. Fidan stated he was in London to express Turkey’s support for Ukraine.
Turkey had previously opposed Sweden's request to join NATO, citing security concerns, and accused Sweden of harboring members of groups it considers terrorist. Recently, Stockholm enacted a new law making it more difficult to fund or support terrorist groups. However, NATO members have expressed hopes that Sweden will gain membership before the alliance's summit in mid-July in Vilnius, Lithuania.
