Erdoğan says Türkiye excepts concrete steps from Sweden, announces new meeting

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday that Ankara conveyed its expectation to see concrete steps from Sweden to fulfill anti-terrorism obligations under a deal clearing its bids to join NATO.

Speaking following his meeting with Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Erdoğan also said the recent resumption of arms exports to Türkiye was a positive step.

It is important that members of the FETO terrorist organization are extradited from Sweden, Erdoğan said, urging more action on the matter.

Kristersson, for his part, said that "there is great potential in our relationship with Türkiye, we can do a lot in trade and tourism."

"Sweden will take big steps in the fight against terrorism by the end of this year, and will take any threat against Sweden and Türkiye seriously."

Erdoğan also said another meeting would be held later this month after meeting Tuesday with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who was hoping to persuade Türkiye to drop its opposition to Sweden joining NATO.

"We hope to see a more positive picture when the joint meeting is organized in Stockholm towards the end of the month," Erdoğan said, without specifying the date.

The Turkish leader added that he "sincerely wished" that Sweden joined the US-led military alliance.

"We understand their security concerns, and we want Sweden to respond to ours," said Erdoğan, who has blocked NATO membership bids from the Scandinavian nation and its neighbour Finland, accusing them of harbouring outlawed Kurdish militants.

Erdoğan has demanded Finland and Sweden extradite members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has battled against the Turkish state for decades and is considered a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies.

Kristersson said "the watchword in Sweden is to fight terrorism" and described his meeting with Erdoğan in Ankara as "very productive".