Sweden took the correct steps by passing anti-terror amendments, but they were nullified by flagrant demonstrations by sympathizers of the PKK terrorist group, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday.
In a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden, Erdoğan also said it would be incorrect to associate Sweden's NATO accession with the sale of F-16 jets to Türkiye while thanking his U.S. counterpart for his support to Ankara on its desire to purchase the fighter aircraft from Washington.
The two leaders also discussed Türkiye's EU accession process and Ukraine's position vis-a-vis NATO during the call.
Biden "conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible," the White House said.
The Turkish Presidency said the leaders agreed to meet face to face in Vilnius, Lithuania, at an upcoming NATO summit and discuss bilateral relations and regional issues in detail.
On Thursday, Sweden failed to convince Türkiye to lift its block on Stockholm's path to NATO membership in a foreign minister-level meeting, as Ankara requested more action in the fight against terrorism.
On Monday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he would convene a meeting between Erdoğan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius.
Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, abandoning policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
While Finland's NATO membership was green-lighted in April, Türkiye and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid. Stockholm has been working to join at the NATO summit in Vilnius.
