Turkish FM, Blinken discuss Sweden's NATO bid

Ankara, July 11 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the expansion of NATO over the phone ahead of the alliance's summit this week.

Earlier on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the European Union to resume the long-stalled membership talks with Ankara, in exchange for a green light from Turkey to Sweden's NATO bid, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Sunday, The Turkish President held a phone conversation with his US counterpart Joe Biden to also discuss Sweden's NATO bid.

During the phone call, Erdogan noted "Sweden has taken some steps in the right direction" toward the ratification of its NATO bid by making changes in its anti-terrorism legislation, according to a statement by Erdogan's office.

However, the Turkish leader said these steps were "nullified" as the supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) "continue to hold demonstrations freely in the country to advocate terrorism".

Biden, for his part, conveyed to Erdogan his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible, according to a White House statement.

The two Presidents agreed to meet face-to-face at the NATO summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius on July 11-12.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year but met with objections from Turkey on the grounds that the two countries harbour members of PKK and the Gulen movement.

Turkey eventually lifted its objection to Finland's NATO accession earlier this year after the Nordic country took what Ankara calls "concrete steps" against such organisations.

In April, Finland became NATO's 31st member state.