Swedish Armed Forces chief hosts Türkiye's army chief in Muskö

Türkiye's Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu was hosted by his Swedish counterpart, Gen. Michael Claesson. Welcoming Bayraktaroğlu with a military ceremony at the Swedish Navy headquarters in Muskö, Claesson said, "Türkiye is an important NATO ally."

Türkiye's Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu visited Sweden at the invitation of Swedish Armed Forces chief Gen. Michael Claesson. Bayraktaroğlu visited the Swedish Navy headquarters in Muskö, located in the Stockholm archipelago. Footage released by the Swedish Armed Forces shows the Turkish commander being welcomed with a military ceremony accompanied by an honor guard and band.

Claesson: "We are reciprocating the hospitality"

Speaking about the visit, Claesson highlighted the reciprocal visits between the two commands: "At the beginning of 2025, I visited Ankara as the official guest of the Turkish Armed Forces. Today, I am pleased to reciprocate that hospitality by hosting Türkiye's Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu in Sweden."

The Swedish commander also assessed Türkiye's position within the alliance: "Türkiye is an important NATO ally, not only because of its significant military capabilities but also because of its geographical conditions, which give the country a key role in the defence of the alliance."

Exercises and defence industry on the agenda

Claesson said they had found an opportunity during the meeting in Muskö to "continue the positive dialogues" launched last year, adding that the two countries' defence administrations were promoting their growing cooperation within NATO. According to Claesson, the two sides are also increasing bilateral contacts focused on developing military capabilities, exercises and strengthening ties between the defence industries of the two countries.

Gen. Bayraktaroğlu in a bilateral meeting at the NATO Military Committee meeting in Riga in September 2025 (archive)

They had also met at NATO meetings

Bayraktaroğlu, who became Chief of General Staff in August 2025, had previously met with Claesson on the sidelines of NATO Military Committee meetings. Bayraktaroğlu held bilateral talks with the chiefs of general staff of allied countries, including Sweden, at meetings held in Riga, the capital of Latvia, in September 2025 and in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, in September 2026.

Sweden became NATO's 32nd member in March 2024 after the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye approved its accession protocol in January 2024. Muskö is Sweden's main naval base and hosts the headquarters of the Swedish Navy. It is known for its underground facilities built into the rock during the Cold War.

Video: Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten). Photos: Wikimedia Commons (archive)

Swedish Armed Forces chief hosts Türkiye's army chief in Muskö