'Historic day' as Erdogan backs Sweden's NATO membership: Stoltenberg

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden's membership in NATO, the bloc's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday (July 11), in a surprising turn of events.

The announcement came as a breath of fresh air amidst Turkey's previous roadblock to approving Sweden's bid to join the Western alliance.According to Stoltenberg, Erdogan has given his consent on Monday to present Sweden's NATO membership application to the Turkish parliament for approval.

Following discussions in Vilnius involving Erdogan and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Stoltenberg announced that Turkey had agreed to proceed with Sweden's NATO membership approval. He said this marks the occasion as a "historic day".

"President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly [Turkey's parliament] as soon as possible and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification," Stoltenberg said ahead of the NATO summit.

However, he also stressed that a specific timeline for Sweden's membership could not be provided at the moment.

The Secretary-General's remarks highlight the progress made in addressing Turkey's security concerns and the positive steps taken by Sweden in response. The NATO head said, "Sweden and Turkey have worked closer together to address Turkey's legitimate security concerns."

"As part of that process, Sweden has amended its constitution, changed its laws, significantly expanded its counter-terrorism operation against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), and resumed its arms exports to Turkey." At present, Turkey and Hungary are the only two NATO member countries that have not ratified Sweden's membership application.

Regarding Hungary's opposition, Stoltenberg stated that Hungary has indicated "that they will not be the last to ratify".

"I think that problem will be solved," Stoltenbergadded.

Turkey has previously criticised Sweden for hosting Kurdish militants and has had disagreements with the country regarding Kurdish issues.

Erdogan and EU chief meeting

However, earlier discussions between President Erdogan and European Union (EU) chief Charles Michel in Vilnius showed a possible shift in Turkey's stance.

Erdogan demanded a revival of EU membership talks as a condition for Turkey's approval of Sweden's NATO membership bid.

Michel said they had a "good meeting" aimed to seek closer cooperation between the EU and Turkey.

Michel added that during their meeting the leaders "explored opportunities ahead to bring EU-Turkey cooperation back to the forefront and re-energise our relations."

Turkey's opposition to Sweden's NATO membership had been a topic of debate and diplomatic tension between the two countries in recent years.

Watch |Turkey agrees to support Sweden's NATO bid

Turkey, as a member of NATO, holds a significant position within the alliance and has the power to veto Sweden's potential accession to the bloc, something which Stoltenberg earlier called on Ankara to not do.

NATO members welcome Erdogan's decision

US President Joe Biden on Monday welcomed Erdogan's decision to back Sweden. "I stand ready to work with President Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defence and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area," Biden said adding, "I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO ally."

Moreover, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, "The path for Turkey's ratification of Sweden's membership of NATO is finally clear," Baerbock wrote on Twitter, hailing the "good news from Vilnius".

In response to Turkey's decision, the Swedish Prime Minister expressed his appreciation, describing it as a "good day" for Sweden. The agreement between Turkey and Sweden has paved the way for Sweden's ratification of its NATO membership, bringing significant security benefits for the country.

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