RASC News Agency: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been withholding approval for Sweden’s application to join NATO. The reasons behind his recent decision to endorse it are unclear.
On Monday, October 23rd, President Erdogan of Turkey signed and transmitted a measure approving Sweden’s bid to join the NATO military alliance. A brief statement issued by his office confirmed this development.
The sudden change in President Erdogan’s stance on Sweden’s NATO bid, after months of refusal, raises questions about his motivations. It remains uncertain when Parliament will vote on this matter, as the final step in the approval process.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, both Sweden and Finland, countries with border proximity to Russia, applied for NATO membership. The membership approval process requires consent from all alliance members.
Initially, Mr. Erdogan declined to support either country’s bid. However, he later shifted his position on Finland, enabling its NATO accession in April. Yet, he continued to withhold endorsement for Sweden, accusing the country of insufficient efforts to combat Turkish separatists and dissidents whom Turkey regards as terrorists.
The speed at which the issue progresses through Parliament is uncertain. President Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, along with its political allies, holds a majority in the Parliament. The measure will need to go through the foreign affairs committee before reaching the full house. In the case of Finland, Turkish lawmakers approved a similar protocol just 13 days after President Erdogan submitted it.
President Erdogan’s stance on Sweden has confounded other NATO members, who privately accuse him of exploiting the alliance’s regulations for domestic political gains.
In July, President Erdogan suggested that Turkey should be allowed to join the European Union, a process that has been effectively halted for years, before Sweden’s NATO accession. It’s important to note that the European Union and NATO are unrelated entities.
