This Tuesday, January 23, the Turkish Parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden’s membership in NATO. The decision, which had been eagerly awaited, marked the end of twenty months of negotiations between Ankara and Stockholm. The Swedish application now only needs a green light from Hungary.
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With this ratification, Turkey Removes one of the final barriers to entry From Sweden In the Atlantic alliance, the request was made by Stockholm in the spring of 2022 after the invasion launched by Russia in Ukraine. The Swedish candidacy was approved by Turkish MPs with 287 votes in favor and 55 against.
” Today we did Another step towards membership Full membership in NATO », the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristerson, immediately reacted on the social network X (formerly Twitter). Sweden, on the brink of becoming the 32nd member of the Atlantic Alliance, announced its candidacy in May 2022 at the same time as Finland, which accepted last April.
Today we are one step closer to becoming a full member of NATO. Positively, Turkey’s Grand General Assembly has voted in favor of Sweden’s NATO accession.
— SwedishPM (@SwedishPM) January 23, 2024
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the ratification. ” I welcome the vote of the Turkish National Assembly to ratify Sweden’s membership in NATO. I also count on Hungary to complete ratification as soon as possible “, Mr. Stoltenberg said in a press release. “ Swedish membership would strengthen NATO “, he added. The White House also ” Greetings » Decision of the Parliament of Turkey.
” Sweden’s upcoming annexation, like Finland’s already done, will further strengthen the Atlantic alliance. », German government spokesman Stephan Habestreit argued for his part. it is “ A direct response to the Russian aggressive war against Ukraine “, he recalled. Similarly, for the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Aspen Barth Aide, Sweden’s membership in NATO would give the Nordic countries ” More secure “
Turkey, one of the last shields for Sweden’s entry into NATO
Turkey, along with Budapest, was the last NATO member to block Sweden’s entry into NATO. This vote Over a year and a half of waiting from the Western Allies came to an end of Ankara upon ratification of this alliance. When he announced in the spring of 2022 that he would be in no rush to open NATO’s doors to Sweden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was not exaggerating. The Turkish president may have bargained for their support to the end.
To justify this long delay, Turkey called its ” worry » In terms of security, our correspondent in Istanbul states, Anne Andlauer. She criticized Sweden for harboring individuals she accused of ” Terrorism “, especially members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Negotiations between Ankara and Washington
Consequently, to satisfy Ankara’s demands, Sweden went so far as to amend its constitution and adopt a new anti-terrorism law. Since the beginning, however, it has been primarily with Washington that Ankara has negotiated. with, as an exchange currency, Purchase of about forty F-16 fighters.
The agreement, backed by the White House, also needs a green light from Congress. According to the agreement between Tayyip Erdogan and Joe Biden, immediately after the vote in the Turkish parliament, the US State Department must notify Congress of the approval of the F-16 sale. Congress is notoriously hostile to Tayyip Erdogan, and has every right to object. For the Turkish president, lifting his veto against Sweden is a political risk-taking, and Turkish-American relations are subject to a test of trust.
Sweden invited Hungary
Hungary is now the only holdout, to validate Sweden’s entry into NATO. If the country has given in-principle support, it has been dragging its feet for months. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ” respect » in Stockholm, where he condemned the policy of “ infamous » and his regular comments on the authoritarian trend of the Central European country.
Yet the Hungarian head of government invited his Swedish counterpart to Budapest this Tuesday to try to clear the last hurdles for a green light from his parliament. Sweden’s foreign minister, however, responded strongly to the invitation, saying that his country ” There is no reason » Currently negotiating with Hungary.
“ At the Madrid summit last year, Hungary (…) granted guest status to Sweden » With a view to joining NATO, without reservation, underlined Tobias Billström. On the other hand, he said that he is ready ” Discussions “, aiming at ” Many issues are common “and” military cooperation » between the two countries.
Also readIssues with Turkey blocking Sweden’s entry into NATO
(and with AFP)
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