Erdogan, Biden could see each other at NATO summit: Top US official

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Joe Biden might see one another at the upcoming NATO summit in Spanish capital Madrid, according to a senior Biden aide.

"Nothing is scheduled at the moment, but they may very well have the opportunity to see one another at the NATO Summit. Let’s see how the next 24 hours unfold," Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, told reporters in Germany.

The summit is set to begin on Tuesday.

"There is a flurry of diplomatic activity occurring," he added.

Turning to Sweden and Finland's NATO membership bids, Sullivan said talks are expected between Ankara, Helsinki and Stockholm on Tuesday, joined by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

"Tomorrow, we understand that there will be further engagements among the Turks, Finns, Swedes, and the NATO secretary-general," he said. "And so we want to see how that unfolds as we head into Madrid."

He said Biden is following the matter "very closely" and his team is working it with the officials from Finland, Sweden, and Türkiye.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last month, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine that began on Feb. 24.

But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting the terrorist groups.