Iran Press/ Asia: The Turkish national defense minister said Saturday that if Sweden fulfills its commitments it can become a NATO member like Finland.
Meeting reporters in Brussels after the NATO defense ministers meeting, Yasar Guler expressed support for the military alliance's "open door" policy.
In the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine, Sweden is looking to join NATO. However, Türkiye, a NATO member for more than 70 years, has blocked the Nordic country's bid expressing concerns, especially over the presence of the PKK terrorist organization in Sweden.
Earlier, this year Türkiye ratified Finland's NATO bid, but is holding back Sweden's bid.
When asked to evaluate his participation in the meeting as defense minister for the first time, Guler said that preparations for the upcoming NATO summit were discussed during the meeting.
NATO leaders will meet in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12 and allies are expected to step up support to Ukraine for the long haul and further strengthen deterrence and defense. 219
