Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted Sweden’s NATO membership request to the parliament on Monday, ending 17 months of deadlock, as confirmed by the Turkish government. The accession protocol for Sweden’s NATO membership, signed on October 23, 2023, was sent to the Turkish Grand National Assembly, as Erdogan announced on social media.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed the news, stating that it was now up to the parliament to address the issue. He expressed his delight at Sweden becoming a member of NATO, referring to it as “good news.” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also expressed his anticipation, stating that he looks forward to welcoming Sweden as a full member soon, emphasizing that Sweden’s inclusion will make the alliance “stronger and safer.”
Erdogan had previously lifted his veto on Sweden’s NATO membership in July, contingent on the Turkish parliament’s ratification. The Turkish president had been pressing Sweden to take action against Quran desecrations, a matter that had strained relations between the two countries. Additionally, Ankara criticized Swedish authorities for their alleged leniency towards Kurdish militants sheltered in Sweden, demanding the extradition of dozens of them.
Turkey, along with Hungary, was the last of the 31 NATO member states that had not ratified Sweden’s accession. Turkey had separately approved Finland’s entry into NATO on March 30, dissociating its case from that of Stockholm. With this move, Sweden’s path toward full NATO membership is now actively progressing.