WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – The US government believes that Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s admission to NATO and Turkey’s EU accession are “separate issues”. “The United States has supported Turkey’s EU aspirations for years and continues to do so,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in Washington on Monday. But it is a matter between the European Union and Turkey.
The question of resuming Turkey’s EU accession process, which was put on hold years ago, should not be an “obstacle” to Sweden’s entry into the defense alliance, Miller said. The US government believes that Sweden’s actions have been sufficient to address the concerns expressed by Turkey. “We think it’s time for Sweden to join NATO,” Miller said.
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan surprisingly made approval of Sweden’s admission to NATO dependent on the resumption of Turkey’s accession talks to the EU. The Vilnius summit begins this Tuesday in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius./nau/DP/he