ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Ankara’s accession to the bloc before Turkey’s parliament approves Sweden’s bid to join the NATO military alliance.
Speaking ahead of his departure for the NATO summit in Vilnius, Erdogan said Sweden’s accession hinges on the implementation of a deal reached last summer during the alliance’s summit in Madrid, adding that no one should expect compromises from Ankara.
Erdogan also said that an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia will ease Kyiv’s NATO membership process.
(Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Huseyin Hayatsever; Writing by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Toby Chopra)
