Turkey's Erdogan submits Sweden's NATO bid to parliament for ratification

Turkey's Erdogan submits Sweden's NATO bid to parliament for ratification, presidency says

The move is welcomed by Stockholm as it clears the way for it to join the Western defense alliance. Hungary's parliament will also have to ratify Sweden's application before it can become a member.

www.reuters.com

ANKARA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification, the presidency said, in a move welcomed by Stockholm that clears the way for it to join the Western defence alliance.

Erdogan pleased his NATO allies at a summit in July by promising to send the legislation to parliament when it reopened on Oct. 1, having previously raised objections over Sweden's alleged harbouring of terrorists.

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Since parliament reopened, however, Turkish officials have repeatedly said Stockholm needed to take more concrete steps to clamp down on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia before Ankara could ratify its membership bid. The PKK is deemed a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

On Monday the bill on approving Sweden finally moved forward.

"The Protocol on Sweden's NATO Accession was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 23, 2023 and referred to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey," the presidency said on social media platform X without elaborating.

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Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed the move and said Stockholm was looking forward to becoming a NATO member. "Now it remains for the parliament to deal with the question," Kristersson said on X.

There is no set timeframe for ratification, however. The bill will be put on the agenda of parliament's foreign affairs commission, which will have to pass it before it can be sent to the general assembly for ratification.

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Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland's membership was sealed in April, in a historic expansion of the alliance, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Turkey, which has NATO's second-biggest army, has long been seeking U.S. congressional approval for a $20 billion sale of F-16 jets and modernisation kits. Erdogan has previously linked Sweden's NATO bid to U.S. support for its request.

 

[dBSPL]

Turkey, which has NATO's second-biggest army, has long been seeking U.S. congressional approval for a $20 billion sale of F-16 jets and modernisation kits. Erdogan has previously linked Sweden's NATO bid to U.S. support for its request.

Despite the fact that Presidency, the defense minister, the foreign minister and countless diplomats and bureaucrats have said repeatedly that this Sweden's NATO bid issue is not related to the F-16 purchase for Turkish side, and even despite the fact that RTE himself conveyed this to Biden last month [1][2]and stated that it was absurd for congress to link the two issues, we are again seeing word games and absurd claims. It is sheer stupidity to say that this attitude is on the Turkish side, when members of the US congress, and even the chairman of the committee himself, put forward a clear precondition linking approving the purchase of F-16s to the approval Swedish's NATO bid condition. The US side is openly blackmailing over Sweden issue and has made it clear that there will be no F-16 sales unless Sweden's membership is approved. However, in the news content, the essence of the issue is presented completely upside down.

 

[Kejo]

If we go by Israeli logic, Türkiye has every right to block Sweden's admission to NATO. Since the EU and the US are vigorously emphasising Israel's right to self-defence, we, too, have well-founded arguments against Sweden's membership.

Sweden has basically turned itself into a heaven for terrorists from all around the world. Communists, Islamists, Fascists - they all go to Sweden for 'freedom of expression'. Very concerning.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

Despite the fact that Presidency, the defense minister, the foreign minister and countless diplomats and bureaucrats have said repeatedly that this Sweden's NATO bid issue is not related to the F-16 purchase for Turkish side, and even despite the fact that RTE himself conveyed this to Biden last month [1][2]and stated that it was absurd for congress to link the two issues, we are again seeing word games and absurd claims. It is sheer stupidity to say that this attitude is on the Turkish side, when members of the US congress, and even the chairman of the committee himself, put forward a clear precondition linking approving the purchase of F-16s to the approval Swedish's NATO bid condition. The US side is openly blackmailing over Sweden issue and has made it clear that there will be no F-16 sales unless Sweden's membership is approved. However, in the news content, the essence of the issue is presented completely upside down.

Considering Turkey and Turks have spread a multitude of lies and made unreasonable demands way beyond the tri-party agreement, is it surprising?

 

[mulj]

He let them to board in into sinking ship.

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

Turks make all noise but in the end meekly surrender to NATO, EU and Israel.

 

[dBSPL]

Considering Turkey and Turks have spread a multitude of lies and made unreasonable demands way beyond the tri-party agreement, is it surprising?

You're talking nonsense again. The demand for F-16s started long before Sweden's accession to NATO. The institution that links these two issues and writes an open report on this issue is the US Congress. It is the US Congress that created the blackmailing policy on this issue and openly made this precondition an obstacle to Turkiye's defense. If we omit the fact that the former chairman of the committee, who was dismissed for bribery, said morning and night that Turkiye should not be given F-16s and that the precondition for this was that Sweden's membership should be approved + not use against US' allies proxies, maybe what you wrote will have some credibility.

If I remember correctly, the Hungarian parliament also vetoed the bill once. And Hungary still hasn't given final approval. In TR, it has not yet come to parliament. Let's see if it will be approved or not...

 

[dBSPL]

Turks make all noise but in the end meekly surrender to NATO, EU and Israel.

The Turkish side has not opposed NATO enlargement. In the past, even the return of Greece was approved. Categorically, Baltic enlargement is in line with its interests, speaking in terms of the Black Sea and the Caucasus, as it would spread the threat perception on Russia from south to there. Finland applied at the same time as Sweden, but the approval process was finalized quickly. The situation with Sweden is more complicated, they were politically very lethargic, and the results of the agreement became visible with the new legislative package that came into force, I think, in June or July.

Btw, there is nothing more ironic than someone who hates Turkiye and Turks criticizing why the Turks act within their biggest military alliance. Due to geopolitical conditions, the Turks have to enter into a conflict of interests as soon as they leave NATO, and the possibility of this conflict evolving into a war is very high. Turks' membership in NATO protects them against NATO as well as from non-NATO actors. This is a balance policy and its roots date back to the 19th century, the balkanization process and the Russian/British/Austrian advances over former lands.

 

[Hold the door]

We are a member of NATO and eventually we have to defend expansion against Russia.

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

The Turkish side has not opposed NATO enlargement. In the past, even the return of Greece was approved. Categorically, Baltic enlargement is in line with its interests, speaking in terms of the Black Sea and the Caucasus, as it would spread the threat perception on Russia from south to there. Finland applied at the same time as Sweden, but the approval process was finalized quickly. The situation with Sweden is more complicated, they were politically very lethargic, and the results of the agreement became visible with the new legislative package that came into force, I think, in June or July.

Btw, there is nothing more ironic than someone who hates Turkiye and Turks criticizing why the Turks act within their biggest military alliance. Due to geopolitical conditions, the Turks have to enter into a conflict of interests as soon as they leave NATO, and the possibility of this conflict evolving into a war is very high. Turks' membership in NATO protects them against NATO as well as from non-NATO actors. This is a balance policy and its roots date back to the 19th century, the balkanization process and the Russian/British/Austrian advances over former lands.

Turkiye will never leave NATO.

Turkiye's NATO membership is what keeps it alive and Turkiye knows it.

We are a member of NATO and eventually we have to defend expansion against Russia.

Then why make a scene in the first place?

It is bad optics for Turkiye.

 

[PakFactor]

I told you guys Sweden will be let in no matter what.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

The Turkish side has not opposed NATO enlargement. In the past, even the return of Greece was approved. Categorically, Baltic enlargement is in line with its interests, speaking in terms of the Black Sea and the Caucasus, as it would spread the threat perception on Russia from south to there. Finland applied at the same time as Sweden, but the approval process was finalized quickly. The situation with Sweden is more complicated, they were politically very lethargic, and the results of the agreement became visible with the new legislative package that came into force, I think, in June or July.

Not really. Legislation take a long time in Sweden, since there will be a public inquiry before any legislation where different groups affected by new legislation give feedback on pros and cons. The public inquiry will result in a report which is studied for political consequences, and only after that the government suggests a new law which is voted upon in the parliament. If it pass the vote, then the law is activated typically 6-12 months later.

This law was coming with or without the NATO membership application.

Btw, there is nothing more ironic than someone who hates Turkiye and Turks criticizing why the Turks act within their biggest military alliance.

Turkey, by its behaviour, is jeopardizing NATOs Northern Flank

Due to geopolitical conditions, the Turks have to enter into a conflict of interests as soon as they leave NATO, and the possibility of this conflict evolving into a war is very high.

The only problem seems to the lack of respect for the borders of Greece.

Turks' membership in NATO protects them against NATO as well as from non-NATO actors.

Membership in NATO does not protect Turkey if Turkey is the attacker.

This is a balance policy and its roots date back to the 19th century, the balkanization process and the Russian/British/Austrian advances over former lands.

 

[Foinikas]

Turks make all noise but in the end meekly surrender to NATO, EU and Israel.

We should balkanize Turkey and split it between Greece,Armenia,Syria and the Kurds. You agree,right?

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

You're talking nonsense again. The demand for F-16s started long before Sweden's accession to NATO. The institution that links these two issues and writes an open report on this issue is the US Congress. It is the US Congress that created the blackmailing policy on this issue and openly made this precondition an obstacle to Turkiye's defense. If we omit the fact that the former chairman of the committee, who was dismissed for bribery, said morning and night that Turkiye should not be given F-16s and that the precondition for this was that Sweden's membership should be approved + not use against US' allies proxies, maybe what you wrote will have some credibility.

I did not mention the F-16, you did.

If I remember correctly, the Hungarian parliament also vetoed the bill once. And Hungary still hasn't given final approval. In TR, it has not yet come to parliament. Let's see if it will be approved or not...

Neither Turkey nor Hungary has vetoed the application. Both have simply delayed the vote in the parliament. The fact that Erdogan is bringing the issue to the Turkish parliament is of course not a guarantee that there will be a yes.

An old Viking proverb is to not sell the skin of the bear until after you skinned it.

 

[Hero786]

Sultan Erdogan now forget about Islam and Quran?

Politicians always drag religion to fool the public to get support and vote.