The fourth meeting of the permanent joint mechanism between the parties was held at the presidential complex in Ankara, Türkiye, under the leadership of Akif Çagatay Kılıç, the chief adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Deputy Foreign Minister Burak Akcapar.
Prominent figures attending the three-hour-long meeting included Stian Jenssen, the director of the Private Office of NATO Secretary General, Jan Knutsson, Sweden's state secretary for foreign affairs, and Jukka Salovaara, the permanent state secretary for the Finnish Foreign Ministry.
This crucial gathering served as a precursor to the upcoming NATO summit scheduled to take place in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 11th to 12th, where NATO leaders will assemble.
The discussions primarily revolved around the steps taken by Sweden since the signing of the trilateral memorandum in Madrid back in June 2022. The objective of the memorandum was to address Ankara's concerns regarding terrorism and security. The Turkish Communications Directorate highlighted the evaluation of Sweden's anti-terrorism efforts and actions during the meeting.
Following Russia's military intervention in Ukraine in February 2022, Finland and Sweden both submitted their applications for NATO membership. While Türkiye has already granted approval for Finland's membership, it is now awaiting Sweden's fulfillment of the commitments outlined in the agreement.
In a bid to secure Ankara's approval for its NATO membership bid, Sweden implemented an anti-terror law in November. The legislation, which came into effect on June 1st, grants authorities the power to prosecute individuals supporting terrorist groups.
“In this context, the progress made in fulfilling the commitments outlined in the trilateral memorandum was extensively discussed,” stated the Turkish Communications Directorate.
The ongoing collaboration among Türkiye, Sweden, Finland, and NATO demonstrates a joint effort to address security concerns, bolster regional stability, and facilitate NATO's expansion.
The outcome of these discussions will be closely monitored, given their significance not only for the parties involved but also for the broader international community. (ILKHA)