Plane carrying Swedish ministers to Turkish capital returns due to technical issue

A plane carrying Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and Justice Minister Gunnar Strummer, en route to Ankara for a key meeting, returned to Stockholm's Arlanda Airport due to a technical malfunction, Sweden's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The decision to turn back was described as a precautionary measure, and the malfunction did not pose any immediate danger to passengers or crew, according to Foreign Ministry Press Spokesperson Richard Wahlstrom.

"It was a safety precaution taken due to the technical malfunction and did not pose an immediate danger to passengers or crew," Wahlstrom told Anadolu.

The ministers were set to attend the first Security Mechanism Meeting between Türkiye and Sweden in Ankara, where high-level discussions on cooperation against terrorism and organized crime were to take place.

The talks were to be chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, alongside Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, with Stenergard and Strummer representing Sweden.

"Efforts have already begun to set a new date for the meeting as soon as possible," Wahlstrom added, noting the importance of the discussions.

This meeting holds special significance, as it marks the first of its kind, focusing on strengthening institutional collaboration between the two nations in the field of counterterrorism.