NATO presses Turkey to drop objections to Sweden’s membership as summit looms

By MATTHEW LEE and LORNE COOK
Associated Press

OSLO, Norway (AP) — NATO is ramping up pressure on its member  Turkey to drop its objections to Sweden’s membership. The military organization wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet for a summit in Lithuania next month. Turkey’s government accuses Sweden of being too lenient on terrorist organizations and security threats, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said Thursday that his country has done all it can to meet Turkey’s demands. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he will travel to Ankara soon to discuss ways to “ensure the fastest possible accession of Sweden.”