Different From Hungary, Who Doesn't Want To Rush, Turkey Will Continue To Support Access To Sweden's NATO, As Long As...

President Receo Tayyip Erdogan. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkey)

JAKARTA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would continue to support the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership access for Sweden, different from Hungary, which did not want to rush.

Speaking on a return flight from Azerbaijan, President Erdogan said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed this in New York last week.

"If they (US) keep their promises, our parliament will also keep its promises. The Turkish parliament has a final decision regarding Sweden's membership in NATO," President Erdogan said.

Turkey may be optimistic about the issue of F-16 sales, after one of the US Senators who was deemed 'a barrier' to the sale resigned from the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, after stumbling over allegations of corruption.

"One of our main hurdles in the F-16 issue is the activities of US Senator Bob Menendez who opposes our country. We may have the opportunity to speed up the process regarding the F-16," President Erdogan was quoted as saying by Anadolu.

"We now expect a clear answer from the US on this issue. We hope we will get the positive results we expect without too much delay," he added.

Last week Menendez resigned from his post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but he rejected calls to leave his Senate seat completely.

"If this issue (NATO acceleration) is included in the parliamentary agenda, we will see together what the decision is," said President Erdogan.

Previously, Ankara requested F-16 fighter jets and modernization equipment in October 2021. The $6 billion deal would include sales of 40 jets, as well as modernization equipment for 79 fighter aircraft already in the Turkish Air Force inventory.

The US State Department has Informally notified Congress of the potential sale.

However, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have pledged to drop the deal due to several demands, including making the purchase dependent on Ankara's approval of Sweden's offer to become a NATO member. Ankara himself warned that the jets would not only strengthen Turkey but also NATO.

The president also reiterated that Sweden's access to becoming a NATO member and Turkey's purchase of the F-16 from the US had nothing to do with it, adding that this was the wisdom of the Turkish parliament.

Yesterday, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban said the Hungarian Parliament was in no hurry to approve Sweden's access to become a NATO member.

PM Orban has hinted at further delays in the process that has stalled in parliament since last year. It must be approved by all NATO members, Sweden's membership access to the approval of Turkey and Hungary.

"I wonder if there is anything urgent that will force us to ratify Sweden's efforts to become NATO. I don't see such a situation," said PM Orban, quoted by the Daily Sabah.

Sweden proposed a NATO membership with Finland, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Unlike the Finland that has been approved by Turkey and Hungary, Sweden will have to wait longer.