Turkey has expressed its willingness to allow Sweden to join NATO but has not yet given its official approval, according to Omer Celik, the spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party. In a live broadcast on Haberturk TV, Celik revealed the existence of a tripartite memorandum between Turkey, Sweden, and NATO that outlines the conditions for Sweden’s membership. Stockholm has agreed to undertake certain steps outlined in the memorandum.
Celik stated that if the Turkish parliament receives confirmation that Sweden has fulfilled its obligations and produced a “strong satisfactory result,” the AKP deputies will vote to ratify Sweden’s membership in NATO. However, Celik clarified that this vote is not expected to take place until the next session of the parliament, which will likely occur in October or November.
The news comes after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Turkey has agreed to support Sweden’s application for NATO membership, following a months-long delay. This development suggests that there may be progress in Sweden’s bid to join the US-led military alliance.
It is worth noting that Erdogan had previously attempted to link his approval of Sweden’s membership bid to Turkey’s admission to the European Union. In response, the US has shown a willingness to unblock the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.
Regarding Turkey’s relationship with the US, Celik stated that while the meeting between Erdogan and US President Joe Biden promised “a new page,” the overall outcome is yet to be seen. Celik suggested that relations between the two countries could improve more rapidly if the US changes its stance on supporting Kurdish-led militants in Syria.
NATO had initially aimed to admit both Sweden and Finland simultaneously before the bloc’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania this week. However, Finland joined on its own after Turkey delayed Sweden’s application due to concerns that Stockholm was providing protection to Kurdish organizations that Ankara considers terrorists. The admission of new members to NATO requires the consensus of all 31 member countries, which is why Turkey’s support is crucial for Sweden’s application to move forward.
In conclusion, Turkey has taken a step towards allowing Sweden to join NATO but has not yet given its final approval. The matter will now be presented to the Turkish parliament, and if Sweden is deemed to have fulfilled its obligations, Turkey’s ruling party will vote in favor of Sweden’s membership. This development comes after a period of delay, and it remains to be seen how Turkey’s relationship with the US and its stance on Kurdish-led militants will impact future developments. NATO had hoped to admit Sweden and Finland together, but Turkey’s concerns about Kurdish organizations caused a delay in Sweden’s application.
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