NATO membership may be at stake when Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) meets Turkish President Erdogan today. But Sweden has many steps left to get its NATO application approved, says Turkish parliament speaker Mustafa Sentop to AP, just before the heads of state’s joint press meeting in Ankara.
TV4 News’ Rolf Porseryd is more positive:
– There is hope for a breakthrough in the NATO issue. Perhaps the Turkish president, who is under pressure from domestic politics, has received sufficient assurances from the Swedish government, he says before the meeting.
– Sooner or later, Erdogan is forced to say yes to Sweden and Finland, explains Porseryd.
– President Erdogan went out to meet Ulf Kristersson for the first time during parade music and then also the Swedish national anthem, says TV4 Nyheternas Middle East correspondent Terese Cristiansson, who is on the spot in Ankara.
After the welcome ceremony, Kristersson and Erdogan will hold a press conference. This is planned for 4:30 p.m.
See photos from the ceremony in the clip above.