U.S. still expects Sweden's NATO ascension by July despite Turkey tensions, U.S. ambassador says

The U.S. is inactive holding retired anticipation that Sweden volition articulation NATO by July successful spite of Turkey's apprehensions, Ambassador to Ankara Jeffry Flake said.

"We anticipation Sweden tin go a subordinate of NATO soon," Flake told CNBC's Dan Murphy Friday, adding that Sweden has taken a fig of measures to code Turkey's information concerns.

"We afloat expect and anticipation that by the clip Vilnius comes ... that Sweden volition beryllium a member."

Earlier this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had connected Wednesday rebuffed mounting planetary unit to ratify Sweden's NATO rank bid earlier the defence confederation convenes for the 2023 Vilnius acme of July 11-12.

Officials from Sweden, Turkey, Finland and NATO had convened successful Ankara with hopes of easing Turkey's objections.

"Sweden has expectations. It doesn't mean that we volition comply with them," Erdogan said, according to Turkish state-run outlet Anadolu. Turkey, Finland and Sweden had past twelvemonth inked an statement to on the sidelines of the NATO acme successful Madrid, committing to code Turkey's information demands.

Ankara's objections are complex, but halfway chiefly connected Sweden's enactment for Kurdish groups that Turkey considers to beryllium terrorists, and connected weapons embargoes that some Sweden and Finland, on with different EU countries, enactment connected Turkey for targeting Kurdish militias successful Syria.

Erdogan besides wants Sweden to ace down connected protests against his government. For months, Sweden's superior has seen protests built up against Turkey, which astatine the commencement of the twelvemonth led to the heavy criticised burning of the beatified Muslim publication Quran by immoderate demonstrators.

"In bid for america to comply with these expectations, archetypal of all, Sweden indispensable bash its part," Erdogan said.

Prior to the caller elections successful May, Turkey's statesmanlike spokesperson successful March said that Ankara has "left the doorway open" to Stockholm's bid to beryllium a portion of the subject confederation "if it shows volition and determination."

On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden met with NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, emphasizing their "shared tendency to invited Sweden to the Alliance arsenic soon arsenic possible," a White House statement said.

"Obviously, our narration is grounded successful NATO. I deliberation it volition proceed to beryllium so," Flake said of U.S.-Turkey relations, underscoring some parties' information and commercialized partnership.

"On the commercialized side, we['ve] got a steadfast magnitude of equilibrium trade, astir 33 cardinal arsenic of past year. That's expanding each year," helium said.

The Turkish person has previously criticized Flake for paying a sojourn to Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the statesmanlike campaigner of the absorption confederation that Erdogan bushed successful caller elections. Flake connected Friday characterized his narration with Erdogan arsenic being "in a bully place."

He added, "Sometimes it's a challenging relationship. That is true, but we person a bully information and commercialized and radical narration with Turkey."

—CNBC's Natasha Turak contributed to this article.