Turkish leader says EU should open the way for Turkey’s accession to the bloc before Ankara approves Sweden’s NATO bid.

“First, open the way to Turkey’s membership of the European Union, and then we will open it for Sweden, just as we had opened it for Finland,” Erdogan said in a televised media appearance on Monday, before departing for the NATO summit in Lithuania.

“This is what I told” US President Joe Biden, the Turkish leader said when the pair spoke by phone on Sunday.

Erdogan also said Sweden’s accession hinges on the implementation of a deal reached last June during the alliance’s summit in Madrid, adding that no one should expect compromises from Ankara.

Turkey wants Sweden to crack down on groups that it deems national security threats, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its Syrian extension.

It wants the extradition of what it calls “terrorists” to be returned to Turkey from Sweden and a lift of the arms ban Stockholm imposes on Ankara.

Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar, reporting from Istanbul, said Sweden argues that Turkey’s requests cannot be decided by the government, but the country’s judiciary institutions.

“However, Erdogan says that this is a security matter and despite positive steps, PKK supporters still hold demonstrations [in Sweden] and this is not acceptable,” he said.

EU talks frozen

Turkey first applied to be a member of the European Economic Community – a predecessor to the EU – in 1987.

It became an EU candidate country in 1999 and formally launched membership negotiations with the bloc in 2005.

The talks stalled in 2016 over European concerns about human rights violations in Turkey.

“I would like to underline one reality. Turkey has been waiting at the EU’s front door for 50 years,” Erdogan said.

“Almost all the NATO members are EU members. I now am addressing these countries, which are making Turkey wait for more than 50 years, and I will address them again in Vilnius.”

Patrick Ruby, a defence analyst, said there is increasing pressure on Turkey from numerous parties in the military alliance – led by Biden.

“It looks like so far Turkey has not shifted yet” towards backing Sweden’s membership, he told Al Jazeera.

“Of course, the longer they hold it, the more they can extract.”