Erdogan shifts the goalposts on Sweden's NATO bid ahead of crucial summit
On the eve of the NATO summit in Vilnius it appears that Turkish President Erdogan is once again moving the goalposts when it comes to Sweden’s NATO membership bid, attempting to put progress on Turkey’s EU membership on the table as well. At the same time, President Biden and Erdogan also discussed the potential sale of US F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, and with Ankara introducing new demands at the 11th hour, the link between Sweden’s NATO accession and the issue of F-16s is under the spotlight as well. Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Thanos Davelis to look ahead at what is likely to be a dramatic NATO summit.
You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:
Sweden still not ready for NATO, Erdoğan tells Biden
US could agree to sell Turkey F-16 jets so it will allow Sweden to join Nato
US, Turkey edge closer to deal on Sweden’s NATO membership; bargaining over F-16s
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Erdogan’s difficult equation in NATO
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