Biden Promises Erdogan $11-13 Billion for Approval of Sweden's NATO Application: Hersh

U.S. President Joe Biden has promised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assistance ranging from $11 to $13 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in exchange for the approval of Sweden's NATO membership application. This was reported by journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh, citing an anonymous source.

On July 12, Erdogan announced that Ankara intends to swiftly discuss Sweden's application for NATO membership.

“Joe Biden got what he needed before the NATO summit… Biden promised that the IMF would provide Turkey with a credit line of $11-13 billion,” Hersh writes on the Substack platform.

According to the journalist, the Turkish leader's decision is largely influenced by the costly need to rebuild the country's infrastructure and housing following the devastating earthquakes that occurred in February. “Biden had to win while Turkey is in a sharp financial crisis,” Hersh quotes the source.

It should be noted that on July 12, Erdogan stated that Sweden's NATO membership would only be possible when Turkey is included in the European Union. On that same day, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Erdogan had agreed to send the documents related to Sweden's application to the Turkish parliament as soon as possible. The Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Numan Kurtulmus, remarked on July 12 that it is still unclear when the application will enter the parliament, as the timelines have not been specified.