ANKARA – Turkey’s parliament has finally approved Sweden’s NATO membership bid, marking a significant step in expanding the Western military alliance after months of delays. The approval came after more than four hours of debate, with President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, its nationalist MHP allies, and the main opposition CHP voting in favor of the bid in the general assembly.
Sweden’s application for NATO membership was first made in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the move to approve it comes at a critical time for the alliance. Once parliament has ratified the move, Erdogan is expected to sign it into law within days, leaving Hungary as the only member state not to have approved Sweden’s accession.
Sweden’s membership in NATO would enhance the alliance’s defenses in the Baltic Sea region, marking a historic shift in its security policy. However, Turkey’s delays in approving the bid have frustrated some of its Western allies and enabled it to extract some concessions.
Delays and Concessions
When Sweden and Finland asked to join NATO in 2022, Turkey raised objections over what it said was the two countries’ protection of groups that Ankara deems terrorists. It endorsed Finland’s membership in April last year but, along with Hungary, has kept Sweden waiting. Ankara had urged Stockholm to toughen its stance on local members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which the European Union and the United States also deem a terrorist group.
In response, Stockholm introduced a new anti-terrorism bill that makes being a member of a terrorist organization illegal. Additionally, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the Netherlands took steps to relax Turkey’s arms-export policies. Erdogan, who sent Sweden’s bid to parliament in October, has linked Sweden’s ratification to U.S. approval of sales of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.
The White House backs the sale, and some analysts expect a deal to swiftly follow Turkey’s ratification of Sweden’s bid. However, there is no clear time frame for the U.S. Congress to approve it, and Turkey faces some congressional opposition over delaying NATO enlargement and its human rights record.
Turkey’s general assembly convened at 3 p.m. local time, with Sweden among the first of several matters to be debated. Parliament’s foreign affairs commission approved the bid last month, with Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, nationalist allies MHP, and main opposition CHP backing it. Opposition nationalist and Islamist parties rejected it.
With the approval of Sweden’s NATO membership bid, the Western military alliance is set to expand, strengthening its presence in the Baltic Sea region and marking a significant shift in Sweden’s security policy.
Agree: Finally! Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s NATO membership is a step in the right direction for strengthening the alliance’s capabilities and ensuring regional stability.
Finally, progress is being made to strengthen NATO and promote stability in the region.
Agree: This is a significant milestone for NATO and will contribute to the overall strength and stability of the alliance.