ANKARA: On Tuesday, the largest remaining obstacle to extending the Western military alliance will likely be cleared when the Turkish parliament approves Sweden’s proposal to join NATO.
Around twenty months after Stockholm requested to join NATO in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Swedish government is scheduled to face a vote in Turkey’s general assembly, where President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling alliance enjoys a majority.
Hungary is the only member state that has not accepted Sweden’s admission; once parliament has ratified the measure, Erdogan is anticipated to sign it into law within days.
According to Hungary, Sweden’s actions suggest that NATO membership is “not a priority” for the country. This ally had promised not to be the one to confirm Sweden’s membership last, but their parliament is on vacation until about the middle of February.
Among the NATO nations led by the United States, Turkey and Hungary have the best relations with Russia.
Moscow has warned that it would react if NATO strengthened military facilities in the two Nordic counties, while Turkey has criticized Western sanctions on Moscow while condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Western friends of Ankara have been irritated by the delay in obtaining Turkey’s agreement, which has given Turkey the opportunity to make concessions.
Ratification postponement
Surprising several NATO members, Turkey raised concerns to Sweden and Finland’s 2022 NATO membership application over what it claimed were the two nations’ support for groups that Ankara considers terrorists.
Sweden has been kept waiting by Turkey and Hungary, even though Turkey backed Finland’s membership in April of last year. The European Union and the United States also consider the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) a terrorist group; Ankara had pushed Stockholm to take a harder line against local PKK members.
Joining a terrorist organization is now criminalized thanks to a new anti-terrorism law that Stockholm introduced in response. The arms-export policies of Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the Netherlands were similarly loosened with respect to Turkey.
The acceptance of Sweden’s bid is contingent upon the US approving the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, according to Erdogan, who brought the proposal to parliament in October.
There is uncertainty about when US Congress will approve the sale, but the White House is in support of it. Some lawmakers are opposed to the sale because of Turkey’s human rights record and because it has delayed NATO membership.
At 1200 GMT, Turkey’s general assembly will meet to discuss a number of issues, the most prominent of which is likely to be Sweden.
Erdogan’s AK Party, its nationalist ally MHP, and the main opposition CHP all had their bids approved last month by parliament’s foreign affairs commission. It was opposed by the Islamist and nationalist groups in opposition.
According to MHP head Devlet Bahceli, Sweden’s bid will still have the support of his party in the vote for the general assembly.
