In a surprising turn of events, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Turkey will lift its veto on Sweden's NATO membership bid. The decision came after a meeting between president Erdogan, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Vilnius, Lithuania, ahead of the NATO leaders summit.
Stoltenberg revealed that president Erdogan and Prime Minister Kristersson had reached an agreement to advance Sweden's application to join the military alliance. Stoltenberg stated that president Erdogan had agreed to forward Sweden's accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly, Turkey's parliament, as soon as possible, and would work closely with the assembly to ensure its ratification.
NATO Secretary General expressed his satisfaction with the outcome on Twitter, emphasizing that this was a historic step that would make all NATO allies stronger and safer.
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
Earlier on July 10, president Erdogan had conditioned Turkey's support for Sweden's NATO bid on the European Union's willingness to open membership talks with Turkey. However, the EU swiftly clarified that joining NATO and joining the EU are distinct processes with separate requirements.
President Erdogan had previously blocked Sweden's NATO accession due to concerns over Stockholm's failure to address what Ankara considers "terrorist" activities by Kurdish militants, which it perceives as a threat to its national security. The move to lift the veto indicates a shift in Turkey's stance on Sweden's bid.
Meanwhile, Turkey's own EU membership aspirations have been stalled due to concerns raised by Brussels regarding democratic backsliding and judicial reforms in Turkey. The EU has put the accession process on hold, demanding improvements in Turkey's democratic standards.
Sweden's NATO membership bid has been a topic of debate for several years, with the country expressing its desire to enhance its security cooperation with the alliance. The recent breakthrough with Turkey paves the way for Sweden to move forward with its application, bringing it closer to achieving its goal of becoming a NATO member.
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