Sweden failed to fulfil duties under NATO bid: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised Sweden for failing to fulfil its obligations under an agreement with Ankara regarding Sweden's accession to NATO, particularly in light of recent terrorist demonstrations in Sweden, which he says are evidence of Stockholm's inability to combat terrorism effectively.

If terrorists were allowed to hold demonstrations under police protection in the Scandinavian country, this showed that Stockholm was failing to "fulfil its duties" under an agreement with Ankara to greenlight its accession to the alliance, Erdogan said on Saturday at a news conference in Istanbul ahead of his departure for next week's UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

Besides drafting new laws to combat terrorism better, Sweden must also enforce the measures in these laws, Erdogan emphasised, voicing concern that despite these legislative efforts, terrorist activities persist on the streets of Stockholm. "When promises made to us are not kept, everyone should appreciate how my parliament reacts on this matter," he said.

F-16 sales

Erdogan also touched on Türkiye's request to purchase F-16 fighter jets from the US.

"What are they saying about the F-16s? 'This (sale) can't happen without the decision of the House of Representatives.'"

"If there's a House of Representatives over there, then I also have a parliament. I can't predict what decision parliament will make (on Swedish accession)," he said, underlining that that decision would be at the discretion of Turkish lawmakers.

Ankara requested F-16 fighter jets and modernisation kits in October 2021. The $6-billion deal would include the sale of 40 jets and modernisation kits for 79 warplanes already in the Turkish Air Force's inventory. The State Department has informally notified Congress of the potential sale.

Although the Biden administration repeatedly said it wants to move forward with the sale of F-16 jets to Türkiye, key lawmakers on Capitol Hill have vowed to nix the deal over several demands, including making the purchase contingent on Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO membership bid.

Officials from the Biden administration, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, previously said the administration does not link the two issues of F-16 sales and Ankara's approval to Sweden's NATO accession.

However, President Erdogan on Sunday said after a brief chat with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi that the US makes such a connection and that this "upsets" Ankara.

Ankara maintains that the jets would strengthen not only Türkiye but also NATO.

The US visit

Erdogan also emphasised his intention to discuss steps to increase investments in Türkiye with prominent members of the US business community during his five-day visit.

Pointing to a significant increase of $22 billion in Türkiye's foreign exchange reserves over the past three months, he said the Central Bank's total gross reserves today exceed $120 billion.

He pointed out that the recent announcement by the World Bank to increase its funding for Türkiye serves as another example of confidence in the country. The Turkish president then departed for the US to participate in the 78th General Assembly of the UN.

The Turkish leader will also participate in events featuring representatives from the Turkish and Turkish-American communities, business leaders, officials from think tanks, and figures representing diverse segments of American society, according to the Communications Directorate.

During his visit, Erdogan on Tuesday will address the UN General Assembly, gathering under the theme "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all."