A motion to ratify Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) passed the Standing Committee of the Turkiye Parliament. Among the 31 NATO member states, Türkiye is the only one, along with Hungary, that has not approved Sweden’s accession to NATO. As such, attention is being paid to whether the speed of ratification will accelerate beyond the standing committee threshold and to the plenary session.
According to Reuters/AFP, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkiye Parliament approved Sweden’s NATO accession protocol after four hours of heated debate on the 26th (local time). As a result, the motion to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership was submitted to the plenary session of the National Assembly, where the ruling coalition holds a majority of the seats.
The voting date for the plenary session has not yet been confirmed. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Fuat Oktai met with reporters at the National Assembly on this day and said, “The Speaker of the National Assembly decides the voting schedule. We decided to submit the Swedish accession protocol to the plenary session, but it should not be interpreted that it will pass the plenary session at the current speed.” “He said sharply.
The Turkiye Parliament will adjourn for 15 days starting next January. In the Foreign Affairs Committee vote that day, foreign affairs committee members from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AK), its coalition partner the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) voted in favor of the ratification motion. As the ruling coalition and the main opposition party showed a positive attitude toward the ratification motion, the likelihood of it passing the plenary session increased. Reuters predicted that it would easily pass a plenary vote in the next few weeks.
When news broke that the obstacle to joining NATO had been resolved, Sweden was immediately delighted. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Wilström said on the social media platform
Sweden, a neutral country, applied for NATO membership along with Finland three months later when the geopolitical balance in Europe was shaken by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year. However, Türkye was caught in the act. This is because Sweden protects terrorist groups designated by Turkiye, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and maintains an arms embargo.
For Sweden to join NATO, the existing 30 member states must ratify the protocol. Meanwhile, Finland, with Turkiye’s consent, became NATO’s 31st member state in April. Sweden, feeling anxious, implemented strengthened anti-terrorism laws and also lifted the embargo on Turkiye. Afterwards, a tripartite meeting held in Vilnius, Lithuania in July on the occasion of the NATO summit opened the way for Sweden to join NATO.
At the time, President Erdogan met with the NATO Secretary-General and the Swedish Prime Minister and changed his position by saying that he would support Sweden’s membership in NATO if the European Union (EU) resumed membership negotiations with Türkiye. The White House then responded that it would consult with the U.S. Congress to lead the export of F-16 fighter jets to Turkicye. Accordingly, President Erdogan signed the ratification bill for Sweden’s NATO membership last October and submitted it to the National Assembly.
Presidential ratification must be approved by Congress before it takes effect. Turkiye, which introduced Russian-made surface-to-air missiles, was expelled from the U.S. F-35 fighter jet export program in 2019 and has faced difficulties in modernizing its air force. Accordingly, President Erdogan’s plan is to link Sweden’s accession to NATO with U.S. fighter jet exports. However, the U.S. Congress still has a negative stance on the $2 million F-16 fighter jet export approved by President Joe Biden, citing the Erdogan government’s authoritarianism and conflict with Greece.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.