ANKARA, Turkey (AP) 鈥 Ratification of Sweden鈥檚 NATO membership by Turkey鈥檚 parliament hinges on the U.S. Congress鈥 approval of Turkey鈥檚 request to purchase F-16 fighter jets, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, calling on the two legislatures to act 鈥渟imultaneously.鈥
In comments reported on Tuesday, Erdogan also said Canada and other NATO allies must imposed on Turkey.
鈥淧ositive developments from the United States regarding the F-16 issue and Canada keeping its promises will accelerate our parliament鈥檚 positive view on (Sweden鈥檚 membership,)鈥 Erdogan said. 鈥淎ll of these are linked.鈥
He made the comments late Monday while returning from . Hungary and Turkey are the only two NATO members not to have formally approved to join the trans-Atlantic military alliance.
Erdogan's comments were reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency.
He told reporters that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan raised the issue of a simultaneous approval by Turkey鈥檚 parliament and Congress during discussions this week with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
鈥淚f we operate this simultaneously, we will have the opportunity to pass this through the parliament much more easily,鈥 Erdogan quoted Fidan as telling Blinken.
Erdogan on Sweden鈥檚 admission to parliament in October, but the ratification process stalled.
The Turkish leader has since linked the matter to Congress approving Turkey鈥檚 request to purchase 40 F-16 fighter jets and kits to modernize its existing fleet.
Turkey has delayed ratification of Sweden鈥檚 membership for more than a year. Ankara accuses the country of not taking Turkey鈥檚 security concerns seriously enough, including its fight against Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers to be security threats.
The delays have frustrated , who were swift to accept Sweden and Finland into the alliance after the neighboring countries dropped their longstanding military neutrality following in February 2022.
Hungary has said the country would not be the last to approve accession, though the ruling Fidesz party, which holds a constitutional majority in Hungary鈥檚 parliament, has refused to hold a vote on the matter.
