Biden thanks Erdogan for backing down on blocking Sweden NATO bid
3 Min Read
One of Erdogan's demands in return for Sweden's NATO approval is the ability to renew delayed EU membership talks.
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US President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, July 11, 2023 (AP)
At a meeting during the NATO summit in Vilnius on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his "courage" in withdrawing from blocking Sweden's entry to NATO.
"I want to thank you for your diplomacy and your courage to take that on. And I want to thank you for your leadership," Biden expressed to Erdogan.
This comes after frustration kept mounting in the West as Erdogan kept blocking Sweden from accessing NATO after Sweden submitted its entry bid alongside Finland last year. Turkey allowed Finland, but not Sweden.
Biden's conversation with Erdogan took place on Sunday from Air Force One and lasted for nearly an hour in an effort to avoid embarrassment at the Vilnius summit. Erdogan dropped his opposition late Monday.
One of Erdogan's demands in return for Sweden's NATO approval was the ability to renew delayed membership talks with the European Union, and another was the purchase of the US F-16 fighter jets.
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US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan emphasized on Tuesday that Biden has "been clear and unequivocal for months that he's supported the transfer of F-16s" regarding it in the interests of NATO.
"He has placed no caveats or conditions on that in his public and private comments over the past few months. And he intends to move forward with that transfer in consultation with Congress."
US supports Turkey entering EU
According to a US official to AFP, since Congress has shown significant opposition to the F-16 jet sale, the White House is now "actively engaging" with Congress to further talks.
Sullivan said, "We will work with the Congress on the appropriate timing for getting" the jets to Turkey, but he could not "speculate on the precise day it's going to happen."
He also stressed "significant recent" US involvement in the talks between NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and Erdogan.
Sullivan further confirmed that Biden has "long" supported Turkey entering the European Union but that it would take "discussions of the necessary reforms and steps relative to democratic resilience that every prospective applicant to the European Union goes through."
"So, as far as we're concerned, these issues are not connected," he said.
