Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission has given its approval to Sweden's bid to join NATO, marking a significant step forward in expanding the Western alliance. After 19 months of delays and negotiations, Ankara finally granted its support to Sweden's membership bid despite demanding security-related concessions. The vote, which took place on Tuesday, was held under the control of President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party. The next stage is a vote in the parliament general assembly, where Erdogan's party is also expected to exercise its majority. This approval demonstrates progress in a process that has strained Turkey's relationships with its Western allies.
The approval from the commission comes after several hours of debate, including discussions on other important matters. The initial vote on Sweden's bid was postponed following a previous debate on November 16. While the approval by the commission is a significant milestone, a vote in the general assembly is still required before the process is finalized. The timing of this vote will be determined by the parliament speaker, and it may take several weeks or even longer for it to take place.
The AK Party, along with its ally the MHP and the main opposition CHP, all voted in favor of ratifying Sweden's NATO membership. On the other hand, the small Islamist Felicity party and the right nationalist Iyi party voted against it. Following the commission's approval, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom expressed his country's gratitude and eagerness to join NATO. NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Boris Ruge, also hailed the news as excellent.
The objections raised by Turkey towards Sweden's bid date back to May of last year. President Erdogan voiced concerns over Sweden and Finland's alleged protection of organizations Turkey considers terrorists, as well as their defense trade embargoes. Finland's bid was ratified by Turkey in April, but Sweden had to wait until it took further actions against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which both the EU and the US designate as a terrorist group. In response, Sweden introduced an anti-terrorism bill and made membership of such organizations illegal. Additionally, Sweden and NATO members Finland, Canada, and the Netherlands eased arms-export policies towards Turkey.
Despite Hungary also delaying Sweden's membership ratification, Turkey is viewed as the primary obstacle. Erdogan linked Sweden's ratification with the US approval of F-16 fighter jet sales to Turkey. Following a recent conversation with President Biden, Erdogan stated that he believes Washington is considering the ratification in order to proceed with the requested sale. While the White House supports the sale, there is currently no specific timeline for the US Congress to approve it. Turkish diplomacy in recent months has frustrated some NATO members, particularly amidst the war in Ukraine. Turkey maintains friendly relations with both Moscow and Kyiv, disagreeing with Western sanctions on Russia despite opposing its invasion of Ukraine.