The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held a joint news conference in Ankara, during which Blinken urged the swift admission of Sweden and Finland into NATO.
However, Cavusoglu dismissed any connection between their accession and Turkey’s request for F-16 fighter jets.
Blinken expressed confidence that NATO would soon welcome the Nordic countries, which would enhance the security of all NATO members, including the U.S. and Turkey.
Cavusoglu repeated Turkey’s stance that it is willing to approve Finland’s NATO membership before Sweden’s due to concerns over terrorism and Stockholm’s tolerance of support for the PKK.
He stated that more needs to be done to convince Turkey’s parliament and people about Sweden’s commitment to NATO.
In response, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that he remains convinced that Sweden and Finland will join NATO together, and it is a Turkish decision to ratify their membership.
According to Cavusoglu, Turkey objects to the sale of F-16 jets being tied to the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland, which must be agreed to by all 30 members of NATO.
Blinken underscored the importance of NATO interoperability and the U.S.’s national interests in the F-16 deal in his statement.
He also expressed concern over reports that China is considering military support for Russia in the Ukraine war.
Blinken warned of “real consequences” if China provides lethal assistance to Russia or helps Moscow evade sanctions without elaborating on the consequences.
Blinken was visiting Turkey for the first time since his appointment two years ago, following the recent earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, killing nearly 45,000 people.
He announced an additional $100 million in aid to support Turkey and Syria and met with U.S. military personnel and workers who have been providing aid to the disaster zone.
Blinken also met with President Erdogan to discuss the NATO bids of Sweden and Finland and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The U.S. and Turkey have different opinions on the admission of Sweden and Finland into NATO and the sale of F-16 fighter jets.
While the U.S. Secretary of State is pushing for the quick admission of the Nordic countries into the defence alliance, Turkey is opposing the linking of the two issues.
Turkey has expressed concerns over terrorism and Stockholm’s tolerance of support for the PKK, while the U.S. views the F-16 deal as important for NATO interoperability and the national interest of the U.S.
The U.S. and Turkey are expected to continue discussions on these matters, and it remains to be seen how these issues will be resolved.
