di Shorsh Surme –
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today he will try to facilitate ratification of Sweden’s request to join NATO in parliament, but expressed frustration that Stockholm had not addressed all of Ankara’s concerns.
“We will try to facilitate the procedure as much as possible, as long as our counterparts approach us in a positive way,” Erdogan told reporters on his return from Kazakhstan. He warned that the decision rests with Parliament in any case.
Erdogan submitted a bill to parliament last month regarding Sweden’s candidacy, about three months after expressing approval for Stockholm’s bid to join the military alliance.
Last year Sweden and Finland reversed their decades-long tradition of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Unanimous approval from alliance members is required for new countries to join the organization and Turkey has used this as leverage to pressure Stockholm and Helsinki to counter Kurdish groups deemed “terrorist”.
Turkey accepted Finland’s offer in March but remained stuck in making a decision on Sweden’s request, saying Stockholm failed to address all of Ankara’s concerns.
Sweden has a large and politically active Kurdish population.
Erdogan made no secret of his dismay at protests by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) supporters in the streets of Stockholm, saying stopping them was one of Turkey’s “most important” expectations of Sweden. But according to Erdogan “no measures have been taken” regarding the PKK’s activities. “Not a single step has been taken.”
It is unclear when the Turkish parliament will vote on Sweden’s NATO candidacy. The legislature is currently prioritizing the 2024 budget, and Erdogan has suggested that the vote may not take place anytime soon.
In order for Sweden’s proposal to be ratified, it must first be approved by the legislative Committee on Foreign Affairs, then voted on by members of Parliament and finally signed into law by President Erdogan.
