Macron, Erdoğan Discuss Swedish, Finnish NATO Bids

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey and French President Macron discussed Sweden and Finland’s NATO bids on Thursday.

The ongoing Russia and Ukraine war was also discussed by the two Presidents.

Erdoğan told his French counterpart that Turkey wants immediate peace between Russia and Ukraine and that Turkey will continue to promote dialogue and diplomacy in this regard.

On Sweden and Finland, Erdoğan also told Macron that Sweden and Finland's contact with individuals and so-called institutions affiliated with the PKK terrorist organisation contradicts the spirit of the alliance under NATO.

Turkey also claimed that Sweden had decided to provide $376 million to support the PKK's Syrian offshoot, the YPG, in 2023 and that it had provided military equipment to them, including anti-tank weapons and drones.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last week, a decision that made Turkey and Erdoğan decline membership status to both countries.