Sweden will not get Turkey's nod for NATO bid unless it stops sheltering 'terrorists' -Erdogan

FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announces new cabinet during a press conference in Ankara, Turkey June 3, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will not lift its opposition to Sweden joining NATO unless it stops harbouring groups Ankara considers to be terrorists, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, ditching long-held policies of military non-alignment after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Applications for membership must be approved by all NATO members, but Turkey and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid.