Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed doubt about the approval of Sweden's NATO membership bid by Türkiye, as the country condemned Sweden for authorizing provocative acts by the PKK terrorist sympathizers targeting Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
"I cannot promise that our NATO membership will be approved in October. This decision belongs to Türkiye, and Türkiye makes its own decisions," he told reporters Tuesday.
He said Stockholm and Ankara agreed that the approval process for Sweden's membership would be sent to the Turkish parliament "as soon as possible" after the opening of parliament.
"Now the parliament is open. I think it is time for Sweden's NATO membership to be ratified," he said.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a telephone call Tuesday with his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom and discussed the transatlantic partnership and Sweden's NATO accession.
"The Secretary and the Foreign Minister underscored their commitment to the Transatlantic partnership and the strong relationship between the United States and Sweden," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
"The Secretary and the Foreign Minister reviewed final preparations for Sweden's NATO accession," said Miller.
Blinken thanked Billstrom for "Sweden's continued support to Ukraine and discussed ways to deepen economic and technology cooperation," he added.
Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, abandoning policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the Cold War. Their applications must be approved by all members of the alliance.
Ankara criticizes Stockholm for doing too little against terrorist groups, including the PKK and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). Both groups have a presence in Sweden, which only recently started taking concrete steps for the extradition of people linked to the PKK while fugitive members of FETÖ still reside in the Nordic country.
Last month, terrorist PKK sympathizers held provocative demonstrations in Stockholm, including one in front of the Swedish Parliament where they burnt a so-called effigy of Erdoğan.
The supporters of the terrorist group carried out a provocative act by putting LGBT symbols on the so-called effigy of Erdoğan at an LGBT rally held in Stockholm. The provocative stunt was staged during the Stockholm Pride Parade event, which was also attended by Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson.
In January, terror supporters gathered in front of the historical City Hall in the capital Stockholm, hung a figure of Erdoğan in effigy by the feet on a pole in front of the building, and shared video footage of the moment on social media.
In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S., U.K., and EU, which includes Sweden – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
