President Erdoğan said, "I am making this call to these countries that have kept Türkiye waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years. First, let’s pave the way for Türkiye in the European Union, and then we will pave the way for Sweden just as we did for Finland.”
President Erdoğan noted that at this critical juncture they would exchange views on the defence and security of NATO regions and make important decisions, and recalled that it was agreed in Madrid to update the alliance's defence plans, which are expected to be approved at the Vilnius Summit.
President Erdoğan stressed that despite the efforts exerted to raise difficulties, they acted in line with the spirit of alliance during this period, as has always been the case, and said they would review in Vilnius the works carried out to move NATO’s efforts in combating terrorism to a new stage.
President Erdoğan said he would reiterate his call for allies, which impose sanctions and limitations against Türkiye, to immediately rectify this mistake and went on to say,
"The progress of Sweden’s NATO membership process depends on the fulfilment of the issues set down in the Trilateral Memorandum. We expect all promises made to us to be fulfilled. In Vilnius, we, together with our allies, will reaffirm the importance we attach to the Alliance in a period during which threats are on the rise. On this occasion, we highlight the fact that nearly all NATO members are also European Union members. I am making this call to these countries that have kept Türkiye waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years. First, let’s pave the way for Türkiye in the European Union, and then we will pave the way for Sweden just as we did for Finland. I hope that my visit to Lithuania will lead to auspicious outcomes for our country, alliance, and region."