As long as terrorist leaders’ speeches are broadcasted on Swedish state television, we cannot welcome them to NATO, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.
Erdogan was speaking during a joint press conference with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro.
The Turkish president received Maduro in the capital Ankara Wednesday to discuss bilateral relations and steps to enhance them.
Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last month.
But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the Nordic countries for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups.
All membership applications must be met by unanimity in the 30-member alliance to be successful.
Ankara's main demands are for the Nordic countries to halt support for the PKK and the YPG terrorist groups present on their territory and lift their bans on sales of some arms to Türkiye. Ankara says the arms ban against an ally is inappropriate for prospective members of the security pact.