Turkey supports Sweden’s admission to NATO.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that Turkey has now supported Sweden’s bid to join the military alliance, calling it a “historic” decision. After a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and Stoltenberg in Vilnius, Lithuania, it was confirmed that Turkey would forward Sweden’s accession protocol for ratification in the Grand National Assembly. This development comes after months of Turkey blocking its application due to accusations of hosting Kurdish militants.
Stoltenberg stated that Turkey’s security concerns had been addressed, and Sweden had made amendments to its constitution, changed its laws, expanded its counter-terrorism operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and resumed arms exports to Turkey. The news of Turkey’s support for Sweden’s NATO membership was welcomed by several NATO members, including US President Joe Biden, who expressed his commitment to work with President Erdogan and Turkey to enhance defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area.
Other leaders, such as German Foreign Minister Annalen Baerbock and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, also welcomed Sweden’s inclusion, emphasizing the collective safety it would bring. President of the EU Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, described it as a “historic step.”
Sweden and Finland both expressed their intention to join NATO in May the previous year, prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland officially joined the alliance in April of the current year. The focus of the NATO Summit, held over two days, primarily revolves around Ukraine’s membership aspirations. While Ukraine has been pushing for membership, it is understood that NATO members believe it should not join during the ongoing war due to concerns about a direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expects membership to be granted after the war but seeks a clear signal of support from the Summit.
