World
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (center), and Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson (left) in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 10, 2023. Photo: Jens Stoltenberg/Twitter
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Monday announced that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to forward Sweden’s accession protocol to Turkey’s parliament.
“This is a historic day,” Stoltenberg told reporters after he met with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius ahead of a NATO summit.
He said there is now a “clear commitment” by Turkey to submit Sweden’s ratification documents to the Turkish parliament.
Stockholm has committed to step up its “fight against terrorism” and work closer with Ankara, Stoltenberg added. Turkey and Sweden “agreed today to establish a new bilateral security compact. NATO will also significantly step up its work in this area. And I will establish for the first time at NATO the post of special coordinator for counter-terrorism.”
When asked when the Turkish parliament would ratify Sweden’s bid, the NATO chief said it was up to the legislature to decide how much time they would need, but stressed that Erdogan has agreed to work with the parliament to ensure ratification.
Sweden and Finland last year reversed their decades-long tradition of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unanimous approval is required by alliance members and Turkey has used this as leverage to pressure the Nordic countries to counter Kurdish groups it considers “terrorists” in exchange for Ankara’s yes on the accession.
In April, Turkey ratified Finland’s bid but blocked Sweden’s, claiming that Stockholm had failed to address Ankara’s “terror” concerns.
Speaking on Monday, Stoltenberg said that Sweden has “significantly expanded its counter-terrorism cooperation against the PKK,” as well as amending its constitution, changing its laws, and resuming arms exports to Turkey.
Sweden’s Kristersson said he was “very happy” about clearing this hurdle. "We take a very big step towards the formal ratification of Sweden's membership in NATO. It has been a good day for Sweden," he told reporters following the announcement.
United States President Joe Biden welcomed the announcement in a statement, saying he is standing ready to work with Erdogan to enhance Turkey's defense and deterrence, and that he is looking forward to welcoming Sweden as NATO’s 32nd ally.
Hungary is also yet to give a green light to Sweden’s accession into NATO, but Stoltenberg said he believes that Turkey’s commitment will solve that problem as well, since “Hungary has made it clear that they will not be the last to ratify.”
“This is a historic day,” Stoltenberg told reporters after he met with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius ahead of a NATO summit.
He said there is now a “clear commitment” by Turkey to submit Sweden’s ratification documents to the Turkish parliament.
Stockholm has committed to step up its “fight against terrorism” and work closer with Ankara, Stoltenberg added. Turkey and Sweden “agreed today to establish a new bilateral security compact. NATO will also significantly step up its work in this area. And I will establish for the first time at NATO the post of special coordinator for counter-terrorism.”
When asked when the Turkish parliament would ratify Sweden’s bid, the NATO chief said it was up to the legislature to decide how much time they would need, but stressed that Erdogan has agreed to work with the parliament to ensure ratification.
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
Sweden and Finland last year reversed their decades-long tradition of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unanimous approval is required by alliance members and Turkey has used this as leverage to pressure the Nordic countries to counter Kurdish groups it considers “terrorists” in exchange for Ankara’s yes on the accession.
In April, Turkey ratified Finland’s bid but blocked Sweden’s, claiming that Stockholm had failed to address Ankara’s “terror” concerns.
Speaking on Monday, Stoltenberg said that Sweden has “significantly expanded its counter-terrorism cooperation against the PKK,” as well as amending its constitution, changing its laws, and resuming arms exports to Turkey.
Sweden’s Kristersson said he was “very happy” about clearing this hurdle. "We take a very big step towards the formal ratification of Sweden's membership in NATO. It has been a good day for Sweden," he told reporters following the announcement.
United States President Joe Biden welcomed the announcement in a statement, saying he is standing ready to work with Erdogan to enhance Turkey's defense and deterrence, and that he is looking forward to welcoming Sweden as NATO’s 32nd ally.
Hungary is also yet to give a green light to Sweden’s accession into NATO, but Stoltenberg said he believes that Turkey’s commitment will solve that problem as well, since “Hungary has made it clear that they will not be the last to ratify.”
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