Erdogan resists and NATO is still far away for Sweden

The joint mechanism that fosters dialogue between Ankara and Stockholm will meet on June 12, but the NATO Secretary General has not announced any turning point in his visit to Ankara following the swearing-in of the re-elected president.

In the press conference organized on the sidelines of the meeting with Erdoğan, recently reconfirmed for the third consecutive term at the helm of Turkey, Stoltenberg announced that the joint mechanism that favors dialogue between the two parties will meet on Sunday 12 June. The goal is to officially bring Stockholm into the alliance during the Vilnius summit on 11-12 July.

"Sweden has fulfilled its obligations" for membership, Stoltenberg said, noting that the country had amended its constitution, strengthened anti-terrorism laws and lifted the arms embargo on Turkey since more than a year ago he applied to join NATO.

Hundreds of people, including dozens of pro-Kurdish demonstrators, gathered in Stockholm to demonstrate against the country's accession to NATO, which according to some would expose many militants to the risk of being deported to Turkey. Kurdish organizations, left-wing groups, anarchists, youth, climate activists and people who oppose Sweden's new anti-terrorism laws have launched the collective "Alliance against NATO".