ANKARA, Sept 17 (Askume) – Turkey and Sweden will hold their first meeting on Wednesday to discuss a security agreement between the two countries to ensure Ankara approves Stockholm’s NATO membership, Turkish diplomatic sources revealed on Tuesday.
The meeting, which will take place during Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Marmar Stegard’s visit to Ankara, is of “special importance” for strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation, the sources said.
In January, Turkey approved Sweden’s proposal to join the military alliance, raising concerns about Sweden’s stance on groups and individuals it considers terrorists.The concerns led to a delay of more than a year and Stockholm later lifted the arms embargo.
As part of the approval, Ankara required Stockholm to amend anti-terrorism laws and crackdown on members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – which the United States and the European Union also designate as a terrorist organisation.
Then-NATO President Jens Stoltenberg and the leaders of Turkey and Sweden agreed on a “security pact” at an alliance summit in 2023. All parties also agreed that Stockholm would propose a “road map” for counter-terrorism.
Sweden joins NATO in March .
“Within the framework of the road map, cooperation in the security sector, in particular counter-terrorism, will be discussed,” the source said. The talks will involve cooperation with other partners, as well as other organisations.
Sources said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Stengaard will also discuss bilateral relations during the meeting.
