Turkey moved closer to approving Sweden’s long-awaited accession to NATO with a key parliamentary committee backing the bid, paving the way for a vote by the full assembly in Ankara as early as this week.
Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Committee endorsed Sweden’s entry to the military alliance, clearing one of the final hurdles for Stockholm. The parliament is widely expected to follow suit when it votes, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaling he’s in favor and his ruling AK party and its allies having a comfortable majority in the chamber.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, shakes hands with Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, right, as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg looks on before a meeting ahead of a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania in July. Yves Herman, Pool Photo via AP, file
Sweden would help bolster the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and strengthen Europe’s defenses following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. U.S. President Biden and European leaders have pushed Erdogan to approve the country’s inclusion. Turkey is the last hold-out in the bloc along with Hungary.
“Sweden has made amendments in its Constitution and laws that will allow it to be more effective in its counter-terrorism efforts and prevent terror activities,” said Fuat Oktay, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee. “Sweden has removed open and veiled embargoes against our country,” he said during the discussions.
The Turkish committee’s decision follows a call between Biden and Erdogan earlier this month in which they discussed Sweden as well as Turkey’s possible purchase of 40 new F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. The White House has made Sweden’s accession a prerequisite for the sale of the warplanes to Turkey, while Erdogan’s also said the two issues should be linked.
Moscow’s attack on Ukraine roiled European geopolitics and led to Finland and Sweden applying to join Brussels-headquartered NATO, whose members commit to defending each other against invasions by foreign powers. Finland joined in April. NATO has 31 members and has long been seen by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a hostile alliance.
All members must agree for new countries to join.
Ankara wants Sweden to take further measures in cracking down on supporters of separatist groups outlawed in Turkey, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist organization by the E.U.
Sweden’s laws on freedom of speech make it hard for the government to stifle public expressions of support for Kurdish independence. Still, at a NATO meeting in Lithuania in November, Stockholm gave more assurances to Turkey about its plans to tackle what Ankara says are acts of terrorism.
Hungary’s sign-off on the Nordic country’s membership is also pending, though it has suggested it will approve.
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