After several months of blockade, the Turkish Parliament approved Sweden’s entry into NATO

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Turkey’s ruling party supported Sweden’s entry into NATO

The Turkish Parliament approved Sweden’s entry into NATO in a general vote on Tuesday, ending months of blocking due to concerns about the Scandinavian country’s efforts against Kurdish militants. The decision was approved with 287 votes in favor, 55 against, and 4 abstentions, while the remaining parliamentarians did not attend the vote.

Both the AKP, the Islamist party in power since 2002, and the social democratic CHP, the largest opposition party, expressed their support during the debate. Meanwhile, minor opposition parties expressed their rejection of NATO. The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had linked the approval to the agreement with the United States to sell F-16 fighter-bombers to Turkey, a transaction planned for years but blocked by the US Congress.

In response to Turkish pressure, Sweden reformed its constitution and adopted a new anti-terrorism law. The decision was welcomed by the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, who said it was “one more step towards full integration into NATO.”

However, the final ratification of Sweden’s entry into NATO is still pending as it requires approval from all 31 members, including Hungary. The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has invited Ulf Kristersson to discuss the issue, further complicating the process.

Orban is known for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and is the only EU leader within NATO opposing sending weapons to Ukraine. While members of his government support Sweden’s accession, some deputies oppose it, citing alleged misinformation by Swedish politicians about Hungary’s democratic policies. The opposition Socialist Party has called for an extraordinary parliamentary session to discuss the issue of ratification.

Both Sweden and Finland decided to renounce their historical neutrality and applied to join NATO after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022. While Hungary has given its approval for Finland’s accession, Sweden’s entry was blocked until now.

The situation is still developing, and it remains to be seen how the discussions between Sweden, Hungary, and other NATO members will unfold.