Sweden's bid to join NATO takes a significant step forward in Turkey
Sweden's application to join NATO has cleared another hurdle, with the Turkish parliament's Foreign Relations Commission set to discuss Sweden's membership. The state news agency Anadolu reported this development, hinting at a potential vote in Ankara soon, although no date has been announced yet.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed his pleasure at this development, stating that the alliance would be stronger with Sweden as a full member. Swedes and Hungarians await their respective parliament approvals, with Hungary still to vote on the issue.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit Berlin this Friday, following his signature on the accession protocol in October. Ankara's concerns driven by Sweden's perceived leniency towards "terrorist organizations" have fueled this lengthy vetting process.
Primarily, Ankara is focused on the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) and its Syrian affiliate, the YPG. The Foreign Relations Commission will address these concerns as it evaluates Sweden's application.
Enriching the Article
The ongoing Turkey-Sweden negotiations to secure NATO membership have undergone several key developments, including:
- Security Meeting Preparations:
- A crucial security meeting between Turkish and Swedish officials is planned to address counterterrorism efforts and concerns over terrorism financing and propaganda. Key figures expected to attend include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, and Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer.
- Sweden's Counterterrorism Measures:
- To alleviate Turkey's worries, Sweden has taken decisive counterterrorism measures, with a new anti-terrorism law coming into effect on June 1, 2023. This law criminalizes participation in terrorist organizations and includes constitutional changes to minimize association with such groups.
- Tripartite Memorandum:
- Sweden and Finland, alongside Turkey, signed a tripartite memorandum in June 2022, paving the way for their NATO accession. The memorandum requires the countries to tackle concerns related to terrorist organizations and fine-tune their crackdown strategies.
- Key Concerns:
- Beyond the PKK and YPG, Turkey has voiced worries about Sweden's tolerance of far-right ideologies, Islamophobia, and racism, which it views as detrimental trends affecting Europe. Turkey is also pushing for the removal of defense industry restrictions if it decides to welcome Sweden into NATO.
In conclusion, although Sweden has made significant strides in addressing Turkey's concerns, their legislation on terrorism and collaboration with Finland, Turkey's concerns over active terrorist groups, and broader European societal issues, such as far-right ideologies and Islamophobia, continue to maintain a potential hurdle in the formalization of Sweden's NATO membership.
