We support Türkiye’s application to join the European Union

Ahead of the NATO summit to be held today, Tuesday, which will discuss several files, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stressed his country’s support. Türkiye’s application to join the European Union.

He explained in a statement to Al-Arabiya / Al-Hadath on Tuesday that Turkey’s accession to the Union is not linked to Sweden’s inclusion in NATO.

Erdogan requires

These developments came after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced, on Monday evening, that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to refer Sweden’s request to join the military alliance to the Turkish parliament, on the condition that his country’s accession file to the European Union be opened.

However, Germany refused, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz considered, on Monday, that Sweden’s accession to NATO had nothing to do with the issue of Turkey’s accession to the European Union.

He said during a press conference in Berlin that they should not be considered as two related issues, as nothing prevents Sweden from joining NATO, which the Turkish president has been obstructing for months, according to him.

US National Security Adviser: We support Türkiye’s request to join the European Union

Turkish objections

It is noteworthy that Sweden’s accession to NATO has been stalled since last year due to objections from Turkey, which accuses Stockholm of harboring Kurdish activists that Ankara considers terrorists.

On the eve of the NATO summit in Vilnius.. Will Sweden succeed in persuading Turkey to join NATO?

Stoltenberg’s comments came after talks with the Turkish president and the Swedish prime minister in Vilnius, where a joint statement was issued, highlighting the conclusion of an agreement between Sweden and Turkey.

Sweden and Finland submitted two requests to join the alliance last year after abandoning the military non-alignment policies that continued throughout the decades of the Cold War. All NATO member states must approve any application for membership. Although Finland was given the green light to join the alliance in April, Turkey and Hungary delayed accepting Sweden’s application.