NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Turkey’s leader has agreed to have Turkish parliament vote on Sweden’s bid to join the defense alliance.
The announcement came via a tweet after Stoltenberg met with both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius, Lithuania, on the eve of the NATO summit there.
“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,” Stoltenberg said on Twitter, including a photo of the three.
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
President Biden swiftly issued a statement following Stoltenberg’s talks with the Turkish and Swedish leaders, saying he’s “ready to work” with Turkey on enhanced defense and looks forward to “welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally.”
Turkey has held up Sweden’s NATO membership since last year, citing concerns about militants Turkey says are present in Sweden.
But in a surprise move earlier Monday, Erdogan said his government could approve Sweden’s bid to join NATO if European countries also “open the way” for Turkey to join the European Union.
The European Commission, however, said those are two completely separate tracks. Commission spokesperson Dana Spinant told reporters “you cannot link the two processes.”