In a surprising turn of events, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has consented to move Sweden's NATO membership application forward. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced the unexpected decision on Monday.
A NATO statement confirmed that Erdogan agreed to present the ratification process to Turkey's Parliament without delay. The statement highlighted Sweden's efforts to address Turkey's security concerns, which had previously stalled Stockholm's NATO accession for over a year. The agreement emphasizes continued cooperation between Sweden and Turkey.
Stoltenberg hailed the agreement as "historic," and President Biden praised Erdogan's decision, expressing readiness to collaborate with Turkey on bolstering Euro-Atlantic defense and deterrence. Biden also welcomed Sweden's impending membership as the 32nd NATO ally and acknowledged Stoltenberg's leadership.
This sudden shift followed Erdogan's earlier statement linking his support for Sweden's NATO bid to Turkey's acceptance into the European Union. Erdogan has consistently obstructed Sweden's NATO aspirations since the application was submitted over a year ago, alongside Finland's bid. While Finland received approval in April, Sweden faced resistance from Turkey, and more recently Hungary, due to concerns over Sweden's approach to Kurdish individuals associated with the PKK, which Turkey designates as a terrorist organization.
Prior to the NATO summit, Erdogan publicly called on the countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the EU's doorstep for over 50 years to pave the way for Turkey's EU membership before Turkey would reciprocate by supporting Sweden's NATO bid, similar to Finland's case. Turkey, under Erdogan's leadership, has been seeking EU membership since 2005, but the 27-member bloc has withheld approval due to human rights and political stability concerns, particularly after the 2016 coup attempt.
International officials have countered Erdogan's demands, emphasizing the distinct nature of the EU and NATO. An EU spokesperson reiterated that each candidate country's accession process is merit-based. Stoltenberg, while supporting Turkey's EU aspirations, highlighted that Sweden fulfills all NATO membership criteria, with the only obstacle being the requirement for unanimous consent from all member states.
The U.S. State Department echoed this sentiment, affirming its support for Turkey's EU membership pursuit while underscoring that Sweden's NATO accession is a separate matter and should proceed.
