NATO’s Expansion: Sweden's Membership Bid Approved by Turkey
Sweden's application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been formally ratified by the Turkish parliament, an important event that will have a lasting impact on Europe's geopolitical landscape and Sweden's national security strategy. The decision highlights the complexities and strategic considerations inherent in NATO's expansion process, and it follows 20 months of negotiations, and diplomatic maneuvering.
The Swedish government's path to approval for NATO membership has not been easy. The country's bid was first made following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine back in 2022, but Turkey, a significant NATO member, whose consent is required for the admission of new members to the alliance, expressed reluctance. Turkey's objection was based on claims that Sweden protected members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, EU and other countries. Therefore, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked Sweden to adopt a more assertive stance against groups Turkey considers to be security threats.
As a response, Sweden took important legislative and policy steps to allay Turkey's worries. Notably, Sweden's introduction of a new anti-terrorism bill that makes membership in terrorist organizations illegal was a significant step in fulfilling Turkey's demands. In addition, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the Netherlands modified their arms export regulations to take Turkey's security concerns into account. Eventually, the Turkish parliament voted in favor of Sweden’s entry into NATO, with 287 votes in favor, 55 against, and 4 abstentions. The vote was welcomed by Ulf Kristersson, Sweden’s Prime Minister, and he declared that the country is “one step closer to becoming a full member of NATO”. The Turkish decision was also praised by U.S National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, as well as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
The approval of Sweden's NATO membership by Turkey has significant strategic ramifications. Indeed, with Sweden joining NATO, the alliance's northern edge is strengthened, especially in the strategic Baltic Sea region. With its sophisticated military capabilities and advantageous geographic location, Sweden is well-positioned to strengthen NATO's deterrence posture against possible adversaries, particularly Russia. Sweden's decision to abandon its long-standing military non-alignment policy is historic, and was motivated by the evolving security landscape in Europe, notably due to Russia's aggression in Ukraine. In addition, through its membership in NATO, Sweden will obtain security guarantees, as well as deeper integration into the European and transatlantic security architecture.
However, there remains a last obstacle to Sweden’s entrance in NATO, and it is Hungary’s approval. Indeed, Hungary is the last of 31 NATO members still refusing to approve Sweden’s membership in the organization. Numerous factors, including political tensions between Hungary and Sweden are causing the delay in Hungary's ratification. As a matter of fact, Swedish officials have previously criticized the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, which has deteriorated relations between both countries and thus complicated the ratification process. Nonetheless, there is active hope that Hungary will eventually ratify Sweden's NATO membership because Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared that he invited Sweden’s Prime Minister to visit Hungary, to negotiate on Sweden’s NATO accession.
Finally, Turkey's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership is evidence of the complicated relationship between national security considerations, and international diplomacy. As the alliance continues to adjust to the shifting security environment, the addition of new members like Sweden highlights NATO's dedication to collective defense and deterrence in an increasingly unpredictable world. Additionally, the procedure emphasizes how important diplomatic engagement is to resolving current members' concerns and growing the alliance. As Sweden gets closer to full membership in the organization, the focus will probably shift to how NATO handles future expansion initiatives, and the various interests as well as security concerns of its members.
The approval of Sweden's NATO membership by Turkey is a significant step that will have a lasting impact on NATO's strategic posture and European security. The world will be looking closely at these dynamics, especially considering Hungary's impending ratification, in a time of geopolitical competition and unpredictability.