Erdogan said that the meeting marked the beginning of a "new process" in Turkish-US relations, and that he and Biden had agreed to hold regular consultations at the heads of state level. Biden thanked Erdogan for his leadership in facilitating Sweden's NATO accession process.

One of the primary topics on the agenda of the summit is Sweden's accession to NATO, following Finland. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that Turkey has agreed to submit Sweden's NATO Accession Protocol to parliament after a trilateral meeting involving Stoltenberg, Erdogan, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

The bilateral meeting between Erdogan and Biden took place in private at the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre (LITEXPO), the venue of the two-day NATO summit that commenced earlier in the day.

In addition to his meeting with Biden, Erdogan also held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The summit, attended by 31 leaders of the military alliance, focuses on various issues, including the conflict in Ukraine, Sweden's NATO membership, and measures to enhance defense and deterrence within the alliance.

As a long-standing NATO member with a formidable military force, Turkey's active participation in the summit highlights its continued commitment to the alliance after more than 70 years of membership. (ILKHA)