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Of: TT
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Photo: Wiktor Nummelin / TT
Foreign Minister Ann Linde (S) will visit Turkey on Tuesday. Stock photo.
Open and honest talks are promised when Foreign Minister Ann Linde (S) meets her Turkish colleague in Ankara. A series of intense meetings await Tuesday.
Linde is visiting in a dual role, as Swedish Foreign Minister, but also as part of the leadership troika in the European Organization for Security and Cooperation OSCE.
Especially in the latter context, the relationship with the rulers of Ankara is extremely important.
– They are involved in a variety of regional and foreign policy affairs around the world: Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and everywhere else. We need to speak to Turkey directly, says the Foreign Minister.
Meet the Minister
The main point will be the meeting with the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Cavosoglu. Direct words are promised from the Swedish side.
– The situation of democracy and human rights and the rule of law have deteriorated in Turkey and of course I will address that. I will also mention, among other things, that various members of the Swedish parliament have appeared in the Turkish media, says Linde.
In recent times, the situation has been really tense between Turkey and the EU countries, Greece and Cyprus, due to the demarcations and test drilling in the eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish news that a research vessel will once again set sail for the disputed area has sparked fresh anger in Greece.
– Turkey acts as a disturber of peace and stability in the region. It goes against international law, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said after the meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.
“Not positive”
At the same time, Ann Linde discussed the tense situation with her German colleague Heiko Maas.
– We note that it is not positive that you, after indicating that you are on the way to a possible dialogue, now turn around and do the opposite. These are mixed signals and of course I will address that issue. We look forward to de-escalation and dialogue and these issues can be resolved, says Linde.
In addition to meeting with Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, Linde will also meet politicians from, among others, the opposition party CHP and the Kurdish HDP. In addition, they await meetings with unions and LGBTQ and gender equality organizations.
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