BRUSSELS

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday he discussed Türkiye's security concerns with Sweden's prime minister.

“(I) spoke with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on Sweden's NATO application and the security concerns raised by our Ally Türkiye,” Stoltenberg stated in a Twitter post.

He stressed that "talks on the way forward will continue in the coming days.”

Last week, Stoltenberg confirmed that Türkiye has “legitimate concerns related to their fight against the PKK a group and other organizations”, adding that PKK is considered a terrorist organization by NATO, the EU, as well as Finland, and Sweden.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last month, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24.

But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people.