NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that Sweden has met its obligations under Turkey's request to tighten its anti-terrorism laws. This move is expected to pave the way for Sweden to potentially become a member of NATO. Stoltenberg made this declaration after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where he was asked whether Sweden could still be admitted into NATO before the alliance's summit in Vilnius, Lithuania in mid-July. "There's still time to make that happen," Stoltenberg said at a press conference.
The joint mechanism between Sweden, Finland, and Turkey will be reconvened during the week of June 12 to discuss cooperation between the three countries. Stoltenberg expressed his desire to finalize Sweden's accession as soon as possible, indicating that the possibility of Sweden becoming a NATO member is still alive.
Initially, Sweden and Finland agreed to work together towards their accession into NATO. However, Finland joined the alliance in April, leaving Sweden behind. Turkey has demanded that Sweden take extra measures to crackdown on Kurdish groups within their country and has also expressed concerns over anti-Turkey protests within Sweden. In response, hundreds of protesters, many flying flags of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), gathered in Stockholm for a demonstration against Swedish NATO membership. This came after Erdogan's spokesperson demanded Sweden to stop "PKK members" from demonstrating.
Sweden's stance towards NATO has changed dramatically following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to an annual poll conducted by the University of Gothenburg, public opinion has shifted vastly in favor of joining NATO, with 64% of the population supporting membership, up from 29% a year earlier. This shift in favor of NATO membership could lead to Sweden becoming a NATO member sooner rather than later.