Arr, gather 'round ye good mates! I've got some news on Turkey's support for Sweden's quest to join NATO. Listen up!
2023-12-26
Arr, me hearties! The Turk President Erdogan be lettin' go o' his objections to Sweden joinin' the swashbucklin' NATO crew. It put the poor Scandinavian landlubbers through a long-winded parliament dance, but now they be set to sail with us! Ahoy!
Sweden is one step closer to joining NATO after the Turkish parliament's foreign affairs committee approved a protocol for their membership. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had initially objected to Sweden's membership, but dropped his objection during a NATO summit in July. However, it took several months for the bill to be sent to parliament and for the committee to give its consent. The protocol now needs to be approved by the full general assembly, and it remains to be seen how quickly the issue will be taken up by the floor.Sweden and Finland sought membership in NATO after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland became NATO's 31st member earlier this year, and Hungary, the only other NATO holdout on Sweden, has not announced when its ratification may occur. Turkey's opposition to Sweden's membership stemmed from its belief that Sweden has been too soft toward supporters of Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara views as security threats. However, an agreement was reached between Turkey, Sweden, and Finland to address Ankara's security concerns, and Sweden took steps to tighten its anti-terrorism laws.
The lifting of Turkey's objections to Sweden's NATO bid came after Sweden strengthened its anti-terrorism laws and NATO agreed to establish a special coordinator for counterterrorism. Sweden also announced its support for Turkey's EU accession process and sought improved customs arrangements and visa-free European travel for Turkish citizens. The approval by the parliamentary committee paves the way for Sweden's accession protocol to be debated and ratified by the general assembly, and then signed off by Erdogan. While Erdogan's ruling party and its allies command a majority in parliament, some nationalist allies remain uneasy with Sweden's membership. Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has stalled Sweden's NATO bid since July 2022, but has not specified what kind of redress they require. Some opposition politicians in Hungary believe that Orban's party will vote to approve once it becomes clear that Turkey will do the same.