Swedish PM vows firmer stance in search for Turkey's approval for NATO bid

FILE PHOTO: Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson attends a news conference after the meeting of prime ministers and heads of government during The 74th Ordinary Session of the Nordic Council in Helsinki, Finland November 1, 2022. Lehtikuva/Vesa Moilanen/via REUTERS

ANKARA (Reuters) - Sweden's new prime minister vowed on Tuesday a firmer stance on fighting crime and terrorism during a visit to Turkey where he will seek the approval of President Tayyip Erdogan for his country's bid to join NATO.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in May in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But NATO member Turkey raised objections, citing security concerns related to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and other groups, and over the Nordic states' ban on arms exports.