Turkish Parliament Approves Sweden’s NATO Membership

Turkish Parliament Approves Sweden’s NATO Membership

The Turkish parliament has voted in favor of Sweden’s accession to NATO. Following this decision, President Erdogan must now sign the accession protocol. However, Hungary’s approval is still pending.

Turkish Parliament Gives Green Light to Sweden’s NATO Membership

After a year and a half of political negotiations, the Turkish parliament has approved Sweden’s membership in NATO. 287 parliamentarians voted in favor in Ankara, while 55 voted against and 4 abstained.

Turkish President’s Signature Awaited for Sweden’s NATO Membership

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is now required to sign the accession protocol, which is considered almost certain. It remains to be seen how promptly Erdogan will finalize the Turkish ratification. Once he signs, the decision will be published in the Official Gazette.

Hungary’s Approval Still Needed for Sweden’s NATO Membership

Hungary, as a NATO member, must also officially approve Sweden’s membership. All the other 29 Allies have already done so.

Sweden and German Government Welcome the Step

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristofferson announced on the X platform that his country is now one step closer to NATO membership.

The German government declared in Berlin that it welcomes the Turkish parliament’s decision, calling it an important and correct one. They believe that the upcoming accession will further strengthen NATO as a whole and anticipate a swift completion of the accession process.

Erdogan’s Consent Linked to Demands

In light of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Sweden, together with Finland, applied for NATO membership in May 2022. Finland was welcomed as the 31st member of the alliance in early April of last year. Erdogan tied his country’s approval, among other things, to combat aircraft deliveries from the US. However, approval from the US Congress is still pending.

Turkey has repeatedly justified its blockade by citing Sweden’s insufficient efforts against “terrorist organizations” from their perspective. Ankara is particularly concerned about the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG.

The Swedish government responded to Turkey’s requirements, for example, by implementing stricter anti-terrorism laws. There was also controversy regarding the approval of Quran burnings in Sweden, which drew sharp criticism from Ankara.

Ankara Hopes for Arms Deal with Washington

Erdogan lifted his months-long veto last year and presented the NATO accession protocol to Parliament for ratification at the end of October. It remains unclear whether Ankara’s approval is now contingent on concessions in arms deals negotiations.

Orban to Hold Talks with Kristersson

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly stated that his country will not be the last to ratify the accession. However, there is no information on when the Hungarian Parliament will vote. Members of the ruling Fidesz party have accused Swedish politicians of “blatant lies” about the state of Hungarian democracy.

Orban has invited his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, for talks on NATO membership to exchange views “on future cooperation in the areas of security and defense as allies and partners.”

Sweden responded cautiously, with Foreign Minister Tobias Billström stating, “We need to consider first what the letter conveys. We naturally hope that Hungary will ratify the accession as soon as possible.”