Erdogan says will back Sweden’s NATO bid if EU opens Türkiye membership talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday he would back Sweden's NATO candidacy if the European Union resumes long-stalled membership talks with Ankara. Türkiye first applied to be a member of the European Economic Community, a predecessor to the EU in 1987.

It became an EU candidate country in 1999 and formally launched membership negotiations with the bloc in 2005. Erdogan also called on NATO members to support Türkiye's accession to the European Union. Erdogan made statements before departing from Istanbul for the NATO summit in Lithuania.