Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s president, announced his support for Sweden’s bid to enter NATO, clearing a major hurdle for the Scandinavian country’s entry to the group.
NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg confirmed the news on Tuesday. “This is good for all of us,” the secretary general said from Vilnius, Lithuania, ahead of an upcoming summit that will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“This is good for Sweden — Sweden will become a full member — and it’s good for Turkey because Turkey is a NATO ally that will benefit from a stronger NATO.”
“This is an historic step which makes all #NATO Allies stronger & safer,” Stoltenberg tweeted on Monday.
The stunning development came just hours after President Erdoğan initially insisted that Turkey’s bid to enter the European Union should be ahead of Sweden’s proposal to join NATO.
Glad to announce that after the meeting I hosted with @RTErdogan & @SwedishPM, President Erdogan has agreed to forward #Sweden's accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly ASAP & ensure ratification. This is an historic step which makes all #NATO Allies stronger & safer. pic.twitter.com/D7OeR5Vgba
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) July 10, 2023
However, in exchange for Turkish approval, Sweden will reportedly assist Erdoğan’s bid to woo the EU. Moreover, the Nordic country “amended its constitution, changed its laws, significantly expanded its counter-terrorism cooperation against the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party], and resumed arms exports,” a press statement released by the organization on Monday evening added.
President Biden called for “swift ratification” of the deal while German foreign minister Annalen Baerbock tweeted, “At 32, we’re all safer together.”
“I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally,” a statement from the White House read.
Hungary is now the only holdout NATO nation yet to endorse Sweden’s membership application. “Hungary has made it clear that they will not be the last to ratify,” the secretary general said. “I think that problem will be solved.”
Finland joined NATO earlier in 2023, making it the 31st member state.