The Turkish parliament has approved Sweden's bid to join NATO after months of deliberation. The Nordic country's path to NATO is now a step closer, with Hungary the only remaining obstacle.
Lawmakers in Ankara on January 23 approved Sweden's NATO accession protocol with 287 votes in favor, 55 against, and 4 abstentions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming days, before it is sent to the US State Department in Washington. Erdogan has already said he supports Stockholm’s membership, so there are likely to be no more unpleasant surprises.
The move brings Sweden closer to becoming the 32nd member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 20 months after it applied to join the alliance – a step that marks a shift in the Nordic country's defense policy.
Like its neighbor Finland, Sweden concluded in May 2022 that joining NATO would be in its national security best, following Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. Finland became NATO’s 31st member last April, leaving Sweden “out of the loop” due to opposition from Türkiye and Hungary.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) shakes hands with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg looks on, July 2023, in Vilnius, Lithuania. Photo: The Guardian
“I welcome the vote by the Turkish Grand National Assembly to ratify Sweden’s membership in NATO,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after the vote in Ankara. “I am also confident that Hungary will complete its national ratification as soon as possible.”
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement that Sweden's membership is a top priority for US President Joe Biden and that "joining NATO is in the national security interests of the United States and will make the alliance safer and stronger."
Sweden’s entry would strengthen NATO, bolstering its northern reach and improving its ability to defend the alliance’s eastern flank. Sweden and Finland had previously participated in some alliance activities but had no intention of joining. It was only when the conflict in Ukraine erupted that those calculations changed.
US Ambassador to Türkiye Jeff Flake hailed the vote in a tweet as “a great step for Sweden, Türkiye and all of NATO”.
“Today we are one step closer to becoming a full member of NATO,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a post on X/Twitter.
Sweden is still one step away from full NATO membership as Hungary has yet to give the green light. However, there has been progress from Budapest.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a Twitter post on January 23 that he had invited his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson to Budapest to negotiate NATO membership.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told reporters there was “no reason to negotiate” with the Hungarian government, although “it is important for us to continue to have a good and constructive dialogue with Budapest”.
In a letter dated Jan. 23 seen by Bloomberg, Mr. Orban invited Mr. Kristersson to Hungary “to exchange views on all issues of mutual interest.” It is unclear whether the Swedish prime minister accepted the invitation .
Minh Duc (According to Bloomberg, Al Jazeera)
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