Turkey Endorses Sweden’s NATO Membership, Hungary Remains the Last Holdout
In a significant development, Turkish legislators have officially endorsed Sweden’s membership in NATO, removing a major obstacle to the Nordic country’s entry into the military alliance. The ratification of Sweden’s accession protocol was passed with an overwhelming majority of 287 to 55 votes. The ruling party members highlighted Sweden’s tougher stance on Kurdish militants as a crucial factor in winning approval. This endorsement comes after more than a year of delays by NATO-member Turkey, which accused Sweden of being too lenient towards groups that Ankara considers security threats.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had previously linked the ratification to Turkey’s desire to purchase fighter jets from the United States. The ratification will come into effect after its publication in the Official Gazette, which is expected to happen swiftly. With Turkey’s endorsement, Hungary remains the only NATO ally that has not ratified Sweden’s accession.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his delight at the news, stating, “Today we are one step closer to becoming a full member of NATO.” The United States also welcomed Sweden’s membership, with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan emphasizing that having Sweden in the alliance will make it “safer and stronger.”
Turkey had been delaying Sweden’s membership due to concerns about Stockholm’s alleged leniency towards certain groups. Ankara sought concessions from Sweden, including measures to counter militants. Turkey was also angered by demonstrations in Sweden by supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Quran-burning protests that caused unrest in Muslim countries.
However, Sweden has taken significant steps to address Turkey’s concerns. It has amended its anti-terrorism laws, curbed the PKK’s financial activities, convicted a terrorism suspect, and extradited another individual. Additionally, Sweden has lifted restrictions on arms sales to Turkey. Fuat Oktay, a senior legislator in Erdogan’s governing party and the head of the foreign affairs committee, acknowledged these efforts, stating, “PKK-affiliated circles no longer find a comfortable room for maneuver in Sweden as they did in the past.” This shift in Sweden’s approach is why the ruling party now supports Stockholm’s bid for NATO membership.
Sweden has also pledged deeper cooperation with Turkey on counterterrorism and expressed support for Turkey’s ambition to revive its EU membership bid. Last month, Sweden’s bid received consent from parliament’s foreign affairs committee in the first stage of the legislative process. While Turkey’s main opposition party supported Sweden’s membership, a center-right party and the country’s pro-Kurdish party opposed it.
Musavat Dervisoglu, a legislator from the Good Party, expressed reservations about Sweden’s steps concerning extradition of wanted criminals and the fight against terrorism, deeming them “limited and insufficient.” Erdogan had linked the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership to the U.S. Congress’ approval of Turkey’s request to purchase 40 new F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits for its existing fleet. He also urged Canada and other NATO allies to lift arms embargoes on Turkey. However, the U.S. administration never explicitly tied the F-16 sale to Sweden’s NATO membership ratification. Nevertheless, influential members of Congress had stated that they would not support the sale until Turkey approved Sweden’s accession to the alliance. U.S. officials anticipate swift action on the F-16 sale following the ratification.
The U.S. national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, emphasized that Sweden’s accession to NATO has been a priority for President Joe Biden. He stated, “Sweden is a strong, capable defense partner. Sweden joining NATO is in the national security interests of the United States and will make the Alliance safer and stronger.” Sweden and Finland abandoned their traditional positions of military nonalignment to seek protection under NATO’s security umbrella following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland joined the alliance in April after Turkey’s parliament ratified its bid, becoming NATO’s 31st member.
Meanwhile, Hungary has also been stalling Sweden’s bid, alleging that Swedish politicians have made false statements about the condition of Hungary’s democracy. Although it is unclear when the Hungarian parliament intends to hold a vote, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has invited his Swedish counterpart to Budapest to discuss Sweden’s entry into NATO. NATO requires unanimous approval from all existing members for expansion, and Turkey and Hungary were the only countries holding out, causing frustration among other NATO allies who had been pushing for Sweden and Finland’s swift accession.
The endorsement of Sweden’s NATO membership by Turkey marks a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards full integration into the military alliance. With only Hungary remaining as the last holdout, the path seems clearer for Sweden to join NATO and strengthen the alliance’s collective defense capabilities. The developments also highlight the complex dynamics and negotiations involved in expanding NATO and the importance of addressing concerns and finding common ground among member states. As Sweden prepares to take its place among NATO’s ranks, it