“The Turkish parliament will make a decision on Sweden’s accession to NATO in the fall”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the Turkish Parliament has the final word on the approval of Sweden’s claim to NATO membership and will make a decision during the resumption of legislative sessions.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers in the capital Ankara, Erdogan said that Turkey will fulfill its duties after the parliament goes on summer vacation in the fall.

“We will do our part when the parliament resumes its activities.

After a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Sweden’s leader in early July in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, Erdoğan agreed to support Sweden’s bid to join NATO and said he would send it to the Turkish parliament.

Stockholm has assured Turkey that it will not support terrorist organizations PKK/YPG and Glenist Terrorist Group (FET) after NATO membership and that a new bilateral security mechanism will be established between Ankara and Stockholm.

NATO will also create a Special Counter-Terrorism Coordinator for the first time in the bloc’s history.

Meanwhile, Erdogan said that Turkey has no problem with any country that cannot be solved through dialogue and diplomacy.

“We believe that misunderstandings can be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said, adding that he hopes to see positive progress in Turkey’s relations with the European Union.

The president also said that Turkey is ready to do everything in its power to fight forest fires in Greece.

“We sent two amphibious firefighting planes and a firefighting helicopter to our neighbor Greece, which is fighting a big fire,” Erdogan said.

Responding promptly to the fires in Turkey, Erdogan said that the country is in a hurry to help other countries in need.

“We extend our best wishes to our Greek neighbors, especially the people of Rhodes,” he added, referring to the southwestern island of Turkey, which has been forced to evacuate tens of thousands of people amid days of wildfires.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday thanked Turkey for its help, which has been fighting fierce forest fires since last week.

Devastating wildfires have raged across Greek islands, including tourist hotspot Rhodes, for the sixth day in a row. Several countries, including Turkey, helped Greece to put out the fires that burned houses and forests.