Biden may mediate Turkey's talks with Finland, Sweden: Reports
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A new report suggests that the manner in which Sweden addresses Turkey's concerns about the presence of Kurdish lawmakers in the Swedish parliament, whom Ankara considers terrorists, will be critical to resolving the issue.
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US President Joe Biden
US President Joe Biden may mediate negotiations between Turkey, Finland, and Sweden on the two Nordic countries' NATO membership bid, which Ankara has opposed due to security concerns, according to Turkish newspaper Milliyet, citing NATO sources.
The recent meeting between Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson with Biden on their potential NATO membership is significant, and the US President may act as a mediator between them and Turkey, according to the same sources.
The manner in which Sweden addresses Turkey's concerns about the presence of Kurdish lawmakers in the Swedish Parliament, whom Ankara considers terrorists, will be critical to resolving the issue, according to the report.
On Wednesday, Finland and Sweden submitted their NATO membership applications to Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. The two countries' admission to NATO is contingent on unanimous approval by NATO member states.
Despite #Turkey's refusal and #Russia's warning, #Finland and #Sweden are still adamant about joining the alliance, sparking fears for the future of #Europe.#NATO pic.twitter.com/AvuwyoU2Kg
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 18, 2022
Simultaneously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, on Thursday, that Ankara had informed NATO allies that it would reject Sweden and Finland's membership and would not change its position.
Niinisto later stated that Helsinki took Turkish concerns about NATO membership seriously and would continue talks with Ankara in the coming days.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
