Sweden’s aspiration to become a NATO member received a significant boost on Monday when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dispatched the country’s accession protocols to the Turkish parliament.
This development follows Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led both Sweden and Finland to pursue NATO membership. However, Turkey had previously hindered Sweden’s entry efforts.
The submission of the accession protocols by Erdogan comes after prolonged delays. The next steps involve the proposal navigating through a parliamentary commission before reaching the main assembly floor for a general vote. Given Erdogan and his allies’ majority in the parliament, they possess the requisite votes to endorse Sweden’s application.
Finland, which had applied for NATO membership concurrently with Sweden in May 2022, officially joined the alliance in April 2023.
Erdogan’s reservations regarding Sweden stemmed from accusations of the country’s leniency towards militant groups, notably the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and sheltering individuals linked to the 2016 Turkish coup attempt. Additionally, Turkish officials have alleged that Swedish authorities were complicit in Islamophobic events, including Quran desecration incidents.
In response, since its membership application, Sweden has fortified its anti-terrorism laws and pledged enhanced collaboration with Turkey on security matters.
NATO’s chief, Jens Stoltenberg, had announced in July that Erdogan consented to forward the accession protocols to the Turkish parliament. This decision marked a significant shift in Erdogan’s stance, who had earlier implied that Sweden’s NATO membership would only be feasible after Turkey’s inclusion in the European Union.
The U.S. State Department welcomed Erdogan’s recent move. Spokesperson Matt Miller stated, “We have been advocating for the ratification of Sweden’s accession for a while,” and expressed hope for a swift approval by the Turkish parliament.
However, Sweden’s journey to NATO membership is not without hurdles. Hungary, another NATO member, has yet to endorse Sweden’s membership. As per Reuters, Hungary’s Prime Minister indicated in September that there was no urgency to approve Sweden’s application.