Turkey MPS ratify Sweden’s NATO bid
Ankara, Turkey - Turkish lawmakers on Tuesday approved a long-delayed bill on Sweden’s bid to become the 32nd member of NATO.
The Turkish parliament voted on the bill after a debate in the Grand National Assembly. A total of 346 lawmakers participated in the voting, with 287 votes in favour, 55 against, and four abstentions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to sign the bill into law within a few days.
Turkish parliament’s ratification was welcomed by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. “Today we are one step closer to becoming a full member of NATO,” he wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
With Turkey’s ratification, Hungary remains the only NATO member country that hasn’t approved Sweden’s application to join the military alliance.
Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO after Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine in 2022. Their accession requires the unanimous approval of all members of NATO.
Turkey approved Finland’s NATO bid in March last year but has slow-walked Sweden’s accession, demanding the Nordic
Turkish parliament voted on the bill after a debate in the Grand National Assembly. A total of 346 lawmakers participated in the voting, with 287 votes in favour
country further address Ankara’s security concerns.
In October last year, Erdogan signed Sweden’s NATO accession protocol and submitted it to the parliament for ratification.
The foreign affairs committee of the Turkish parliament approved Sweden’s NATO bid following deliberation in December last year, in a key step to put it to a full parliamentary vote.
Turkey has been under pressure from the United States to approve Sweden’s accession to NATO, but Ankara was holding up its ratification to press Washington to allow the sale of F-16 fighter jets.
F-16 sale to Turkey
Meanwhile, the US State Department said on Tuesday that President Joe Biden has long been clear about his support for modernising Turkey’s F-16 fleet as it welcomed the Turkish parliament’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession protocol.
Asked about the Turkish parliament’s approval of Sweden’s NATO bid, a State Department spokesperson told Anadolu that the US looks forward to receiving Turkey’s instrument of ratification in Washington.
“As a highly capable defence partner, Sweden’s prompt accession into NATO will strengthen the alliance,” the spokesperson told Anadolu.
Asked when the State Department will move forward with the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, the spokesperson said: “President Biden has long been clear that he supports modernising Turkey’s F-16 fleet, which is an investment in NATO interoperability. This proposed sale will support the national security interests of the United States, Turkey and all NATO Allies.”
“Congress has a key role in reviewing arms sales, and some members of Congress have publicly said that Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s application to join NATO is a key consideration before they can support the sale of F-16s to Turkey,” the spokesperson added.
Although the Biden administration repeatedly said it wants to move forward with the sale of F16 jets to Turkey, key lawmakers on Capitol Hill had vowed to nix the deal because of several demands.