Turkish parliament approves Sweden's membership of NATO

Jan 23, 2024

3 min read

The Turkish parliament gave its approval to Sweden's membership in NATO. The final signature of the decision still awaits the approval of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Currently, Sweden's entry into the organization only depends on Hungary's approval.

Lawmakers voted 287-55 in favor of Sweden's candidacy - Photo Reproduction/EPA

In a historic decision that could reconfigure geopolitical dynamics in Europe, the Turkish Parliament approves this Tuesday (23)Sweden's accession to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending months of negotiations between the Scandinavian country and the military alliance.Lawmakers voted 287-55 in favor of Swedish membership.The final signature of the decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected in the coming days. Now, all that remains is Hungary's approval for Sweden to fully integrate into the organization.

It is worth noting that Turkey and Hungary maintain closer ties with Russia compared to other members of NATO, an alliance led by the United States. Hungary has expressed the view that NATO membership is "not a priority" for Sweden, based on the Scandinavian country's actions. Although Hungary pledged not to be the last ally to ratify Sweden's membership, the Hungarian parliament is in recess until mid-February. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the country is now "one step closer to becoming a member of NATO."

Approval

From 2022, Turkey had been voicing objections to Swedish accession to the military alliance, especially after Stockholm's request to join NATO, which was prompted by Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine. In July 2023, Erdogan agreed to submit Sweden's proposal for NATO membership to parliament. On occasion, General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg stated that "President Erdogan has committed to forwarding Sweden's accession protocol to the National Assembly as promptly as possible, collaborating closely with the assembly to ensure ratification", declared Stoltenberg during a press conference.

Turkey argued that Sweden was harboring Kurdish militants and needed to step up its efforts to crack down on rebel groups such as the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), considered a terrorist organization by both the European Union and the United States. As a member of NATO, Turkey has the power to veto the accession of new countries to the group. However, in June, Sweden implemented stricter anti-terrorism laws, explicitly prohibiting the provision of financial or logistical aid to terrorist groups.

Both Sweden and its eastern neighbor Finland, historically militarily neutral, have expressed their intention to join NATO in May 2022, a few months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Finland formally joined NATO in April, significantly expanding the extent of the alliance's border with Russia.

Diplomatic and Strategic Context

Sweden's decision to seek NATO membership comes amid growing concern about security in the Baltic Sea region, driven mainly by tensions with Russia. The 2014 annexation of Crimea and Russian military activities in the Baltic have increased apprehension among Scandinavian and Baltic countries, leading many of them to reevaluate their security policies.

The Swedish government, historically neutral in terms of military alliances, has identified NATO as an additional guarantee of security and stability in the face of growing concerns about potential threats. Turkey, in turn, plays a crucial strategic role in the region and, by approving Sweden's membership, seeks to strengthen ties within NATO and consolidate its position as a key actor in European defense policy.

On Thursday (18), NATO announced the holding of the largest military exercise since the Cold War. A contingent of 90,000 soldiers, representing all countries in the alliance and Sweden, was called up to participate in this action scheduled to take place throughout this week, expected to end in May. The military exercise will feature more than 1,200 combat vehicles, including ships, fighters, helicopters, drones and tanks. The militaries involved will engage in a series of joint exercises, simulating a "Russian attack" scenario, as declared by NATO's commander general in Europe, General Christopher Cavoli.

I'll take it

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an alliance made up of 31 countries. It gained prominence in international diplomacy discussions between April and May 2022 due to the possible accession of Finland and Sweden during the War in Ukraine. In April 2023, Finland officially joined NATO.

NATO was established in 1949 during the Cold War, led by the United States in opposition to the former Soviet Union. During this period, countries allied with the US were part of NATO, while the Soviet Union had a similar alliance called the Warsaw Pact. After the dissolution of the communist bloc in 1991, Several countries that belonged to the Warsaw Pact joined NATO, including Poland, whose capital, Warsaw, lent its name to the old alliance.

Since then, NATO has primarily acted as an alliance that protects its members' economic interests, with some notable exceptions, such as its direct intervention in Libya during the conflict that resulted in the fall of dictator Moammar Gaddafi.