Swedish foreign minister to discuss NATO accession in Turkiye

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara, where he will meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu amid contradictions in relations between the countries regarding the upcoming entry of Sweden into NATO, the Swedish Foreign Ministry said, reported from TASS.

"I look forward to visiting Ankara, which will happen at the very beginning of my tenure as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sweden and Turkiye have a long history of good relations, and it is all the more important for future NATO allies to develop and deepen these relations," Billström said in a press release.

The ministry noted that the foreign minister is also scheduled to meet with representatives of the Turkish parliament. Following the meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries, a joint press conference will be held.

On Monday, Sweden's Supreme Court stopped the extradition of exiled journalist Bulent Kenes from the kingdom despite Turkiye's request. Cavusoglu described this as an "extremely negative" event. The extradition of the journalist, as well as people associated with the PKK, is one of several demands Turkiye sets to ratify Sweden's bid for NATO membership.

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