Turkey has dropped its opposition to Sweden’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), clearing the way for the Nordic nation to join the Western military alliance.
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NATO Secretary-General stated in a twit that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agree to support Sweden’s application and forward the proposal to Ankara lawmakers for ratification.
Glad to announce that after the meeting I hosted with @RTErdogan & @SwedishPM, President Erdogan has agreed to forward #Sweden's accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly ASAP & ensure ratification. This is an historic step which makes all #NATO Allies stronger & safer. pic.twitter.com/D7OeR5Vgba
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) July 10, 2023
Jens Stoltenberg made the statement after hosting a meeting between Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Monday in Vilnius.
Turkey had stood in the way of Sweden’s ascension to NATO, using its veto power largely on concern that Sweden hadn’t done enough to help crack down on pro-Kurdish “terrorist organizations.
Sweden and neighboring Finland applied for NATO membership last year, abandoning their long traditions of military neutrality on fears raised by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Finland was officially admitted to the alliance in April, but Turkey blocked Sweden’s application after accusing the country of sheltering Kurdish terrorists.
NATO is an alliance of countries from Europe and North America. It currently have 31 members.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
