Blinken expects Turkey to agree to Sweden's NATO membership within weeks

The U.S. Secretary of State stated Antony Blinken -Saturday – Türkiye appears ready to approve Sweden's NATO membership (Natto) in the coming weeks.

Turkey's parliament's foreign affairs committee approved the request last week, a major step toward expanding the Western bloc after a 19-month delay. The next step is a vote in the Assembly.

Blinken raised Sweden's demands during meeting with Turkey's president on Saturday Recep Tayyip Erdogan It was the first day of a week-long trip to the region to discuss the conflict in Gaza.

“We are also discussing in Turkey the final steps in the process of approving Sweden's membership of NATO in the coming weeks,” the US minister told reporters in Greece.

He also met with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan The US foreign minister assured him that Ankara wanted Washington to make a decision on selling F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, explaining that the final decision on Sweden's membership of NATO rested with the Turkish parliament.

Sweden submitted a request in 2022 after the war in Ukraine, but Turkey's president objected to what he said was Stockholm's protection of individuals Ankara considered terrorists.

In contrast, U.S. lawmakers suspended the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey until Turkey agreed to Sweden's membership.