Sweden’s Nato bid could be approved if EU opens doors to Turkey: Erdogan

Turkey has withheld support for Sweden’s membership of Nato (AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country could approve Sweden’s membership of Nato if European nations “open the way” to Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.

Mr Erdogan, whose country has been holding off its final approval to Sweden’s Nato membership, made the comments in Ankara on Monday before departing to the alliance’s summit meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Turkey is a candidate to join the EU, but its membership bid has stalled due to Ankara’s democratic backsliding and disputes with EU member Cyprus.