Turkey believes that Sweden and Finland have not yet met all of Ankara's conditions for joining NATO. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said both countries still need to take concrete steps.

Speaking at a press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Istanbul, Cavusoglu said Ankara has noticed that Sweden's new government, led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, is taking a determined approach to meeting its commitments.

In June, Sweden and Finland signed a memorandum, thanks to which Turkey lifted its veto on the two countries' applications to join the alliance. Turkey put forward a number of conditions, including the extradition of Kurdish dissidents it considers "terrorists."

Turkey and Hungary still have not ratified the two countries' applications for NATO membership.

Cavusoglu assured that Ankara "does not slow down" the process of admitting new members to the alliance, but believes that Finland and Sweden have not done enough. According to him, Ankara counts on the fulfillment of all obligations, which the countries undertook within the framework of the signed memorandum.

Meanwhile, Stoltenberg believes Sweden and Finland have fulfilled Turkey's requirements for joining NATO, and the time has come to welcome them into the alliance. "In these dangerous times, it is important to complete their accession so that there are no misunderstandings or miscalculations by Moscow," he said, noting that he would discuss the issue during a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.