Vilnius 2023 NATO Summit logo visible on the smartphone screen.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to support Sweden’s offer join NATO, opening the way for the latter to change into a part of a military alliance.
“The completion of Sweden’s accession to NATO is a historic step that advantages the security of all NATO allies at this critical time. It makes us all stronger and safer,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on the eve of the two-day NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Erdogan blocked the move for a yr, first approving Finland’s offer. Ankara’s objections were complex, but mainly centered on Sweden’s support for Kurdish groups that Turkey considers terrorists, and the arms embargoes that Sweden and Finland, together with other EU countries, imposed on Turkey for attacks on Kurdish militias in Syria.
The suspension sparked anti-Turkey protests in the Swedish capital, which escalated earlier in the yr when far-right protesters burned a Koran. The move was quickly criticized and threatened to derail Sweden’s bid for NATO membership.
said NATO Since last yr’s summit, Sweden and Turkey have been working closely together to address the country’s security concerns.
“Sweden modified the structure, modified the law, significantly expanded anti-terrorist cooperation against the PKK and resumed arms exports to Turkey,” the statement said, referring to the Kurdish Employees’ Party, which Ankara has labeled a terrorist organization.
The nations also agreed that counter-terrorism cooperation is a long-term effort that may proceed after Sweden joins NATO.
praised US President Joe Biden development saying: “I’m ready to work with President Erdoğan and Türkiye to strengthen defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area.”
Turkey’s green light, nonetheless, was something “has been anticipated for a while,” especially if Erdogan were re-elected for a 3rd term, as he would not have to use the issue to rally nationalist support, said William Courtney, an assistant professor at RAND.
Before the May elections in Turkey – said in March the spokesman of the country’s president that Ankara had “left the door open” to Stockholm’s bid to join the military alliance.
NATO expansion along Europe’s eastern flank, together with Finnish and Swedish membership, could also make the military alliance “much stronger,” Courtney added.
“The addition, especially of Finland on the northern flank, gives NATO completely recent opportunities along the eastern edge.”