UPDATE - Biden welcomes Türkiye's support for Sweden's NATO bid

ADDS BLINKEN'S TWEET

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden welcomed on Monday Türkiye's support for Sweden's entry into NATO as the Nordic country moves toward becoming the 32nd member of the transatlantic alliance.

"I welcome the statement issued by Türkiye, Sweden and the NATO Secretary General this evening, including the commitment by (Turkish) President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan to transmit the Accession Protocol for Sweden to Türkiye’s Grand National Assembly for swift ratification," Biden said in a statement.

"I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Türkiye on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister (Ulf) Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally. And I thank (NATO) Secretary General (Jens) Stoltenberg for his steadfast leadership," he added.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed Biden's statement.

"We welcome Türkiye’s commitment to transmit Sweden’s NATO accession protocols to Turkish Parliament and work with parliament to secure ratification," Blinken said on Twitter.

"Sweden becoming our 32nd NATO Ally will strengthen the @NATO Alliance and contribute to European security," he wrote.

Türkiye has agreed to send Sweden's NATO Accession Protocol to parliament following a trilateral meeting, Stoltenberg said Monday.

"I'm glad to announce that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the Accession Protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly as soon as possible and work closely with the assembly to ensure (its) ratification," Stoltenberg told a press briefing in Vilnius, Lithuania, where 31 leaders of the military alliance have gathered for a summit.

*Servet Gunerigok contributed to this story