Stoltenberg, Blinken confident that Sweden, Finland will join NATO soon

Photo: NATO

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken have expressed confidence about addressing Turkey's "security concerns" regarding the NATO membership bids of Sweden and Finland.

"All NATO allies are of course ready to sit down and address those concerns, including the threats posed to Turkey by PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party], and this is terrorist threats, which of course, is something we are taking very seriously," Stoltenberg told reporters at the US State Department.

"We know that no other NATO ally has suffered more terrorist attacks than Turkey, and Turkey is an important ally not least because of its strategic geographic location bordering Iraq and Syria," he remarked.

Stoltenberg said he will convene senior officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland in Brussels "in the coming days. Delegations from the three countries had a meeting in Ankara on May 25.

F-16s are a "separate issue"

For his part, Blinken said there is a strong consensus within the bloc for the rapid accession of the two Nordic countries.

"I remain very confident that that will happen, that we're going to move forward ... If Allies have concerns, they raise them and then we deal with them," he said. "But in particular, concerns that Turkey has raised directly with Finland and Sweden are being addressed by the Fins and the Swedes with the assistance of NATO."

When asked whether the US will meet Turkey's demand to buy F-16s to ease up the situation, Blinken said those are separate issues. "We have a longstanding and ongoing defense relationship with Turkey as a NATO Ally."

CLICK - Turkey's FM hopeful for F-16s after meeting with Blinken

Sweden and Finland on May 18 formally applied to join NATO. accusing them, especially the former, of providing a safe haven for "terrorists," Turkey has opposed their membership.

Ankara has demanded the two countries take concrete steps regarding "terrorists" and asked Sweden to lift an "arms sales embargo."

The two countries have stated that they are ready to address Turkey's concerns, with Sweden signaling it may resume arms exports to Turkey. (VK)