Turkey’s President Erdogan Agrees to Support Sweden’s NATO Membership Bid

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced his support for Sweden’s bid to join NATO, according to NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. Erdogan has agreed to forward Sweden’s application to the Turkish parliament and ensure its ratification. This comes after months of Turkey blocking Sweden’s application, accusing it of hosting Kurdish militants. As a NATO member, Turkey has the power to veto any new country joining the alliance. US President Joe Biden welcomed Erdogan’s commitment to swift ratification and expressed his readiness to work with Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. German Foreign Minister Annalen Baerbock and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also expressed their support for Sweden’s NATO membership. The agreement was announced by Stoltenberg in Vilnius, Lithuania, ahead of the NATO summit. However, a clear date for Sweden’s membership cannot be given as it depends on the Turkish parliament. Turkey and Hungary are the only two NATO members yet to ratify Sweden’s membership application. Erdogan had previously linked Turkish support for Sweden’s NATO bid to the EU re-opening frozen membership talks with Ankara, but EU officials rejected the demand, stating that the two issues are separate. NATO stated that Sweden would actively support efforts to reinvigorate Turkey’s EU accession process, including the modernization of the EU-Turkey customs union and visa liberalization. Turkey first applied to join the EU in 1987, but its drift towards authoritarianism under Erdogan halted the accession process. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Erdogan has played a unique role as a NATO leader with influence in Moscow. He helped broker the Black Sea Grain Initiative and has maintained the deal despite Russian threats to withdraw. However, Turkey has also angered the Kremlin by supplying armed drones to Ukraine. Russian officials were further infuriated when Turkey allowed five former commanders of the Ukrainian garrison at Mariupol to fly back to Kyiv, contrary to Russia’s expectations under a prisoner exchange agreement.

How has Turkey’s announcement in support of Sweden’s NATO bid impacted their relationship with the European Union?

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made a surprising announcement in support of Sweden’s bid to join NATO, according to NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. Erdogan has agreed to bring Sweden’s application to the Turkish parliament for ratification, reversing Turkey’s previous blockage of the membership request. This move comes after months of tension between the two countries, with Turkey accusing Sweden of harboring Kurdish militants.

The United States President Joe Biden has praised Erdogan’s commitment to expediting the ratification process and has expressed his willingness to collaborate with Turkey in strengthening defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic region. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalen Baerbock and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have also voiced their support for Sweden’s NATO membership.

Despite this promising development, it is uncertain when exactly Sweden will be granted membership as the timeline relies on the Turkish parliament. Turkey and Hungary are the only remaining NATO members that have yet to ratify Sweden’s application.

Previously, Erdogan had tied Turkey’s support for Sweden’s NATO bid to the European Union re-opening frozen membership negotiations with Ankara. However, EU officials rejected this linkage, emphasizing that the two matters should be handled separately. In response, NATO has expressed that Sweden will actively assist in revitalizing Turkey’s EU accession process, including efforts to modernize the EU-Turkey customs union and facilitate visa liberalization.

Turkey’s aspirations to join the EU have been hindered by concerns over Erdogan’s authoritative leadership, which has veered away from the democratic principles necessary for membership. Nevertheless, Turkey has emerged as a prominent NATO leader with significant influence over Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Erdogan has played a pivotal role in brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative and has upheld the agreement despite Russian threats to withdrawal. In a move that has further antagonized the Kremlin, Turkey has also supplied armed drones to Ukraine. Russia was taken aback when Turkey permitted five former commanders of the Ukrainian garrison at Mariupol to return to Kyiv, defying Russia’s expectations outlined in a prisoner exchange agreement.