Turkish president meets Swedish premier in Prague

By Diyar Guldogan

PRAGUE (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday met Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on the sidelines of an EU summit in the Czech capital.

Erdogan and Andersson chatted at the Prague Castle, where the first meeting of the European Political Community is being held.

Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership in response to Russia's war on Ukraine, but faced opposition from Türkiye, which accuses them of supporting terrorist groups such as the PKK and Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup.

The two Nordic countries signed a memorandum with Türkiye in June for cooperation in the latter's fight against terrorism. Ankara says it will greenlight their accession only if they address its concerns.

Right-wing leader Ulf Kristersson, who has been formally asked to form a government after a narrow election victory in September, has said that NATO membership remains a priority.