Turkey: Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul
WASHINGTON (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking an increasingly tough line against the NATO membership bids of Finland and Sweden despite far less strident statements from some of his top aides.
U.S. officials are trying to determine how serious the often mercurial leader is and what it might take to get him to back down. In the meantime, the Biden administration is focusing not on Erdogan’s comments but those made in closed-door meetings by lower-ranking Turkish officials.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet his Turkish counterpart on Wednesday in New York in a new effort to clarify Ankara’s position. Finland and Sweden submitted formal NATO applications Wednesday.
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