The United States maintains its support for Turkey's bid to join the EU but has turned its attention towards Sweden's move to join NATO, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2023) The United States maintains its support for Turkey's bid to join the EU but has turned its attention towards Sweden's move to join NATO, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said on Monday.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested that the European Union should permit Ankara to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO. Erdogan said he conveyed the idea to President Joe Biden.
"The US has always supported Turkey's EU membership aspirations and continues to do so. Turkey's membership application and process is a matter between the EU and Turkey. Our focus is on Sweden, which is ready to join the NATO Alliance," the spokesperson said as quoted by a White House pool reporter on Twitter.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a meeting on Monday between Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Sweden's membership in the Alliance with an eye towards the two sides reaching a political decision on the matter before the NATO summit.
NATO's annual two-day summit is set to commence on Tuesday in Vilnius, where leaders are slated to discuss Sweden's ascension to the Alliance in addition to the issues of defense spending, Ukraine's NATO prospects, and strengthening the alliance's eastern flank.
