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Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
Photo: JIM LO SCALZO/POOL/EPA
Despite Turkey's blockade so far, the US government of President Joe Biden is optimistic about Finland's and Sweden's NATO accession process.
"We are confident that Finland and Sweden will ultimately have an effective and efficient accession process that can address Turkey's concerns," Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at the White House.
"Finland and Sweden are working directly with Turkey to achieve this, but we are also speaking to the Turks to try and facilitate the process."
Sweden and Finland jointly submitted their membership applications to NATO on Wednesday.
They want to join the Western military alliance under the impression of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
However, NATO member Turkey is threatening to veto it.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated his statement in Ankara on Wednesday that he could not approve the expansion.
He accuses Finland and Sweden of being too lax towards "terrorist organizations" such as the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and of stopping arms deliveries to Turkey.
US Secretary of State Blinken met his Turkish colleague Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in New York on Wednesday.
The Turkish foreign minister said that Turkey understands the security concerns of Finland and Sweden.
However, Turkish security concerns must also be addressed.
In principle, Turkey wants to overcome differences through “dialogue and diplomacy”.
Blinken said that the NATO countries would work together as "allies and partners" in the accession process for Finland and Sweden.
kim/dpa/AFP
