President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has refused to succumb to increasing international pressure on Turkey to endorse Sweden’s NATO membership bid before the upcoming NATO meeting in July. Western officials had hoped that Erdogan would reconsider his stance on this diplomatically charged issue following his hard-fought re-election last month.
In comments released by his office on Wednesday, while Turkish and Swedish officials engaged in last-minute negotiations in Ankara, Erdogan signaled no significant shift in his position. “Sweden has expectations. It doesn’t mean that we will comply with them,” Erdogan was quoted as saying.
Sweden and Finland jointly applied for NATO membership in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, marking a notable departure from their long-standing military neutrality. Finland became NATO’s 31st member in April after its request was ratified by the Turkish parliament. However, Turkey has yet to approve Sweden’s bid.
NATO aims to include Sweden within its ranks before the leaders of member nations convene for a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12. During the discussions in Ankara, officials focused on addressing Turkey’s concerns regarding what it considers “terrorist” groups and their supporters residing in the Nordic nations. Erdogan previously conveyed the message that no deviations should be expected at the Vilnius summit.
While the discussions between Turkey and Sweden continue, there is no specific date set for a resolution. Sweden’s chief negotiator, Oscar Stenstrom, stated that it is his responsibility to persuade his counterparts that Sweden has taken sufficient measures. However, Turkey believes it needs more answers to its questions and is not ready to make a decision yet.
Turkey’s government accuses Sweden of being lenient towards groups that Ankara considers a security threat, including Kurdish armed organizations and individuals linked to the failed coup attempt against Erdogan’s government in 2016. Additionally, Turkish officials were angered by protests in Stockholm, including an anti-Islam activist burning the Quran outside the Turkish embassy.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson insists that his government has fulfilled its commitments under an agreement reached with Turkey last year to secure Ankara’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership. However, last week, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström was told by his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, that Turkey expects more “concrete steps” from Sweden.
Erdogan also referenced pro-Kurdish and anti-NATO rallies in Stockholm that coincided with his talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Istanbul this month. He stated his intention to attend the July summit in Lithuania unless “extraordinary” circumstances arise. Erdogan made it clear that Turkey cannot view Sweden’s NATO bid favorably while “terrorists” are protesting in Stockholm, calling for the police to prevent such demonstrations.
NATO expansion requires unanimous approval from all existing members, and Sweden’s request to join has not yet been ratified by Turkey and Hungary. Despite Sweden’s efforts to extradite individuals linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the enactment of an “anti-terrorism” law, Ankara insists that these actions are insufficient.
In the meantime, Senator Jim Risch, the leading Republican member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, declared that he is obstructing a $735 million arms sale to Hungary because of the government’s refusal to endorse Sweden’s NATO bid. Risch emphasized that promises were made last year regarding the ratification and emphasized that Hungary should take necessary actions to allow Sweden’s inclusion in the alliance, and soon.
