Turkey has stated that Sweden can only join NATO if it fulfills the country's primary requirement of jointly countering terrorism.
Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that Ankara adheres to objective criteria in relation to Sweden's NATO membership bid, noting that the primary task of the Alliance is to ensure the security of its member states and that its allies should be in solidarity with Turkey on the issue of addressing terrorist threats.
"Our main requirement is the fight against terrorism. When Sweden fulfills it, it will become a member of NATO," the official said in speaking with the local TV-100 channel.
Sweden applied for NATO membership in May last year, but Turkey blocked its bid, claiming that Stockholm has not yet met the requirements needed to join the group.