Turkey has agreed to support Sweden’s NATO membership in a major breakthrough for the military alliance’s push to strengthen its defenses following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The announcement came hours before the NATO leaders gathered in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the two-day annual summit.
The surprise announcement was made by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who had overseen the talks between Erdoğan and the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, in Vilnius.
“This is an historic step which makes all #NATO Allies stronger & safer,” Jens Stoltenberg tweeted. “I’m glad to announce … that President Erdoğan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the grand national assembly as soon as possible, and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification,” he said.
Glad to announce that after the meeting I hosted with @RTErdogan & @SwedishPM, President Erdogan has agreed to forward #Sweden's accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly ASAP & ensure ratification. This is an historic step which makes all #NATO Allies stronger & safer. pic.twitter.com/D7OeR5Vgba
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) July 10, 2023
A joint statement issued after the talks stated Turkey and Sweden would work closely on “counterterrorism coordination, which will continue beyond Sweden’s accession to NATO,” and boost trade ties.
In addition, Sweden “will actively support efforts to reinvigorate Türkiye’s EU accession process, including modernization of the EU-Türkiye Customs Union and visa liberalization,” the statement said.
Turkey’s security concerns
The update on Sweden’s NATO accession comes after months of opposition from Ankara. The Turkish leader opposed the bid accusing Sweden of sheltering terrorists, particularly the members of recognized Kurdish terror groups to operate, most notably the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey considers as terrorists.
At his news conference Monday, Stoltenberg noted that Sweden and Turkey had “worked closely together to address Turkey’s legitimate security concerns.”
“As part of that process, Sweden has amended its constitution, changed its laws, significantly expanded its counter-terrorism cooperation against the PKK, and resumed arms exports to Turkey,” he said.
A day earlier, Turkish President Erdoğan had suggested Sweden could only join the alliance after his country is accepted into the European Union. “Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.
Biden welcomes Sweden’s NATO accession
The news signifies a major win for Biden, who had expressed confidence that Sweden would eventually be admitted to NATO, noting Turkey is seeking to modernize its F-16 fleet.
U.S. President Biden, who fully supported Sweden’s NATO membership, welcomed the agreement and said he will work with Turkey “on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally.”
It’s unclear when the Nordic country’s membership might be approved, but the process is set to begin soon.