Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, has formally presented the ratification of Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to the Turkish Parliament, marking a significant step towards Sweden’s potential inclusion in the alliance. However, the timing for the Turkish Parliament’s decision on this matter remains uncertain, leaving the international community eagerly awaiting the outcome.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his appreciation for this development, signaling Sweden’s strong desire to become a NATO member. Sweden’s pursuit of NATO membership has been a strategic shift in response to the evolving security landscape in Europe and Russia’s increasing assertiveness in the region.

Notably, Turkey and Hungary are the final two NATO member nations that have yet to grant approval for Sweden’s NATO membership, prompting speculation about the reasons behind the delay.

One major point of contention, attributed to Turkey’s hesitancy, is Sweden’s perceived leniency towards Kurdish groups within its borders. Some of these groups are labeled as terrorists by the Turkish government due to their opposition to Turkish policies. The Kurdish issue has been a long-standing source of tension in Turkey’s foreign relations, and it remains a sensitive topic for Ankara.

Additionally, Turkish authorities have raised concerns about incidents involving the public burning of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, which have occurred multiple times in Sweden this year. These protests, often taking place outside mosques, have been permitted and unimpeded by Swedish law enforcement, who cite the principle of freedom of expression. This has led to diplomatic frictions and further complicated the process of Sweden’s NATO accession.

Sweden’s decision to seek NATO membership came after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In the face of a changing security environment in Northern Europe, Sweden, along with its neighbor Finland, abandoned its decades-long military neutrality in favor of strengthening its security ties with NATO. Sweden’s potential NATO membership would provide additional security guarantees and strategic benefits to both Sweden and the alliance.

The outcome of the Turkish Parliament’s decision on Sweden’s NATO membership will have far-reaching implications for regional security and NATO’s composition. If both Turkey and Hungary eventually ratify Sweden’s NATO membership, Sweden would become the 32nd member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, reinforcing the alliance’s commitment to safeguarding the security and stability of Europe. The world watches closely as the final pieces of this diplomatic puzzle fall into place.

Article by Prague Forum