Türkiye-Sweden security meeting postponed
Turkish, NATO and Swedish flags stand on the day of a meeting between Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of a NATO summit, in Vilnius, Lithuania July 10, 2023. (Reuters/Yves Herman)
The ministerial-level “Türkiye-Sweden Security Mechanism” meeting has been postponed after the Swedish delegation’s plane, carrying Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and Justice Minister Gunnar Strummer, was forced to return to Stockholm due to a technical issue.
Sources from Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the Swedish government aircraft encountered a technical malfunction while en route to Ankara, compelling it to return to Sweden. As a result, the meeting has been delayed and will be rescheduled for a later date.
The same sources emphasized that despite this delay, efforts to enhance security cooperation, especially in counterterrorism, would continue between the two nations.
Richard Wahlström, Press Spokesperson for Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed the technical issue and noted that it was a precautionary measure with no immediate danger to passengers or crew. He also expressed anticipation for the meeting in Ankara, where cooperation on key issues like counterterrorism and organized crime was expected to be discussed. Efforts to arrange a new date for the meeting are underway.
