Turkey’s parliament on Tuesday ratified Sweden’s bid to join NATO after months of deliberations.
Turkey’s general assembly, where President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling alliance has a majority, voted 287-55 to approve the application, which Sweden first submitted in 2022.
All NATO members must approve applications from countries wishing to join the alliance. When Sweden and Finland asked to join in 2022, Turkey raised objections to what it said were the two countries’ defence of groups it considers terrorists.
It approved Finland’s membership last April but, along with Hungary, made Sweden wait. Fuat Oktay, head of parliament’s foreign affairs commission and a ruling AK Party member, said during debate:
We support NATO enlargement to improve the alliance’s deterrence efforts… We hope Finland and Sweden’s attitude towards fighting terrorism sets an example for our other allies.
US Ambassador Jeff Flake said in a written statement on Tuesday:
I greatly appreciate the Turkish Parliament’s decision to approve Sweden’s entry into NATO today.
He said Turkey’s “commitment to the NATO Alliance clearly demonstrates our enduring partnership.”
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom also welcomed the Turkish parliament’s approval. He said in a written statement:
We now look forward to President Erdogan signing the ratification document.
Erdogan initially objected to Sweden’s membership, accusing Swedish officials of being too soft on militant groups, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Since the application, Sweden has tightened its anti-terrorism laws and agreed to co-operate more closely with Turkey on security issues.
Erdogan’s approval of Sweden’s EU membership application is also contingent on a commitment from the United States: the Turkish president has signalled that he will not sign the protocol unless the US approves the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.
Ben Cardin, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Tuesday that Congress was, however, waiting for the accession papers to be finalised before moving forward on the issue.
Sweden had previously shown no interest in full NATO membership, and in the early 19th century adopted a position of neutrality and non-alignment, officially remaining on the sidelines during major conflicts, including world wars.
But while this position remained central to the country’s identity, Sweden gradually strengthened its ties with NATO. It joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme in 1994, became an Enabled Partner in 2014, and signed a host country agreement in 2016. Sweden has participated in NATO-led missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq. A member of the European Union since 1995, it is also bound by a mutual defence clause obliging it to provide assistance in the event of an attack on any EU member.
