Biden advisor says Turkey's concerns over NATO accession of Sweden, Finland can be resolved

US President Joe Biden's security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said yesterday (May 19) that Turkey's concerns regarding Sweden and Finland's entry into NATO can be resolved.

"We believe that the Turkish concerns about the accession of Sweden and Finland — they've been expressed by President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan and others — can be addressed and can be resolved," Sullivan told reporters as Biden was departing for South Korea and Japan.

Biden hosted Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finland's President Sauli Niinistö at the White House earlier in the day. Sullivan said "they're both intending to speak directly" to the president of Turkey.

"We've indicated if there's anything we can do to be supportive, we will do it, but fundamentally this is an issue about concerns that Turkey has raised," said Sullivan, adding those would be on Finland and Sweden.

The two Nordic countries on Wednesday formally applied to join NATO in a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine. However, Turkey has voiced objections to the membership bids, accusing the two countries of tolerating and even supporting "terrorist" groups. (AS/VK)