Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to back Sweden’s bid to join NATO, the military alliance’s chief Jens Stoltenberg pronounces this after a year of hindering the move, citing Turkish security concerns. Mr. Stoltenberg announced the agreement late following talks between the Turkish and Swedish leaders in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
The military alliance’s chief Jens Stoltenberg at a news conference expressed that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly as soon as possible and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification.
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Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated in a report that Sweden has taken a big phase towards NATO membership after striking a deal with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to let Sweden into the alliance.
“This feels very good, this has been my aim for a long time, and I believe we had a very fine response today and took a very big step towards membership,” Kristersson stated at a news conference after a meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Türkiye’s Erdogan.
Türkiye clears the way for Sweden’s entry
Last year, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership, abandoning their policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While Finland’s NATO membership was green-lighted in April, Türkiye and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden’s bid.
Reacting to the news, US President Joe Biden said he welcomed the commitment by President Erdogan to proceed with “swift ratification”.
President Biden also welcomed the news, saying he looks forward to welcoming Sweden “as 32nd NATO ally.” A White House statement said President Biden ready to work with President Erdogan and Türkiye on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area.
Türkiye had previously spent months blocking Sweden’s application, accusing it of hosting Kurdish militants. As one of NATO’s 31 members, Türkiye has a veto over any new country joining the group.
Reacting to the news, German Foreign Minister Annalen Baerbock tweeted: “At 32, we’re all safer together.” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Sweden joining would “make us all safer”.
Why Türkiye holdout before?
Türkiye has accused Sweden of not doing enough against people Türkiye sees as terrorists, main members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which is considered a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the EU, and the United States.
Erdogan has held out for months, saying Sweden’s accession hinged on the implementation of a deal reached last year during the alliance’s summit in Madrid and that no one should expect compromises from Ankara.
Türkiye bargains EU accession process
Earlier Erdogan stated that the European Union should open the way for Ankara’s accession to that bloc before Türkiye’s parliament approved Sweden’s bid to join the NATO military alliance.
EU officials rejecting demand the demand, saying those were two separate issues. But in a statement, after the deal was announced, NATO said Sweden would actively support efforts to “reinvigorate Türkiye’s EU accession process” and this would include “modernisation of the EU-Türkiye customs union and visa liberalisation”.
Türkiye first applied to join the EU way back in 1987, but its drift towards authoritarianism under President Erdogan brought the accession process to a halt.
However, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Erdogan has also played a unique role as a NATO leader with influence in Moscow.
Erdogan has held out for months, saying Sweden’s accession hinged on the implementation of a deal reached last year during the alliance’s summit in Madrid and that no one should expect compromises from Ankara.
Requirements for NATO Membership
To become a member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), a country must meet certain requirements and go through a process of consent. Here are the key requirement for NATO membership:
Political stability is a key to a candidate country should have steady independent institutions and a commitment to the rule of law, human rights, and the ideologies of democracy. Besides this, the country should have compatible defense and security constructions, as well as a willingness to cooperate with other NATO members on defense matters. Another requirement is regional stability which is needed for the country to maintain good relations with its neighbors and work towards peaceful resolution of any outstanding disputes or conflicts.
Candidate countries should show a commitment to investing in their defense capabilities, as NATO encourages its member countries to spend a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defense. While this is not a strict requirement for membership. There should be public support for NATO membership within the candidate country. This can be demonstrated through political consensus, public opinion polls, and domestic political processes.
A country aspiring for NATO membership must be willing and able to integrate its military forces with those of other NATO members. This involves adopting NATO standards for defense planning, training, and equipment. The other Requirement is international commitments with a track record of fulfilling its international obligations and being willing to align its foreign and security policies with those of NATO.
However, once a country expresses its desire to join NATO, it enters into a formal process of accession, which involves submitting an application to the NATO Secretary-General.
