ANKARA — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, to conclude the ratification process for Sweden’s pending membership in NATO “as soon as possible."
As contact between Ankara and Washington intensifies amid the Israel-Hamas war, the two also discussed the need to increase the “speed and scale of humanitarian assistance to Gaza,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
The Turkish government has not yet released a readout of the call.
The Biden administration has in recent months upped the pressure on Ankara to speed up Sweden's NATO ratifications after months of stalling, while also pushing Turkey to cut off ties with Hamas. During a visit to Turkey earlier this month, Brian Nelson, the US Department of Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Washington was "profoundly concerned" over the militant group's fundraising abilities in Turkey, which has also served in recent years as a hub for the militant group's political leadership.
