Turkey’s parliament has ratified Sweden’s NATO membership bid, marking a significant step towards expanding the Western military alliance after a 20-month delay. The Turkish general assembly, where President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling alliance holds a majority, voted 287-55 in favor of approving Sweden’s application, which was first made in 2022 in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
All NATO member states must approve applications from countries seeking to join the alliance. While Sweden and Finland submitted their applications in 2022, Turkey had initially raised objections. Finland’s membership was endorsed in April of the previous year, but Sweden’s approval was delayed, along with Hungary.
Fuat Oktay, the head of the parliament’s foreign affairs commission and a member of the ruling AK Party, expressed support for NATO enlargement, emphasizing its role in enhancing the alliance’s deterrence efforts. He also praised Finland and Sweden for their stance against terrorism during the parliamentary debate.
U.S. Ambassador Jeff Flake welcomed the Turkish Parliament’s decision, emphasizing Turkey’s commitment to the NATO alliance and highlighting the enduring partnership between the two nations. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom also expressed his appreciation for the Turkish parliament’s approval and looked forward to President Erdogan signing the ratification document.
It is pertinent to note that, President Erdogan is expected to sign the legislation within days, leaving Hungary as the only member state yet to approve Sweden’s accession. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, known for his friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, invited his Swedish counterpart for negotiations regarding Hungary’s possible entry into the bloc earlier on Tuesday. Hungary’s parliament is in recess until mid-February.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Turkey’s move and called on Hungary to complete its national ratification as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, following Tuesday’s Turkish parliamentary vote, the representatives of the US and Germany too lauded the decision.
In a post on X, the US Ambassador to Turkey Jeffry Flake said, “Sweden’s accession to NATO is a critical step in strengthening the alliance” and that he “greatly appreciate the Turkish’s parliament’s decision to approve Sweden’s entry into NATO.”
The German government also welcomed the outcome of the Turkish parliamentary vote. The federal government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement that Finland’s accession last April and Sweden’s “forthcoming accession” were a “direct reaction to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.”
