"Sweden is a strong, capable defense partner. Sweden joining NATO is in the national security interests of the United States, and will make the Alliance safer and stronger:" Biden
A significant obstacle to Sweden's admission into NATO was removed on Tuesday when Turkish lawmakers approved the country's membership. Sweden had previously been a non-aligned nation.
By a vote of 287 to555, lawmakers approved Sweden's accession treaty, with members of the ruling party praising the Nordic nation for its more aggressive approach against Kurdish insurgents. In the past, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also connected the approval to Turkey's intention to purchase combat fighters from the United States.
The ratification comes into effect after its publication in the Official Gazette, which was expected to be swift.
Hungary then becomes the only NATO ally not to have ratified Sweden's accession.
"Today we are one step closer to becoming a full member of NATO," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. In Washington, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan welcomed the news, saying having Sweden in the alliance will make it "safer and stronger."
NATO-member Turkey had been delaying Sweden's membership for more than a year, accusing the country of being too lenient toward groups that Ankara regards as security threats. It sought concessions from Stockholm, including moves to counter militants.
Turkey also had been angered by a series of demonstrations by supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in Sweden as well as Quran-burning protests that roiled Muslim countries.
Sweden in the past was a "center in Europe" for the PKK, Fuat Oktay, a senior legislator in Erdogan's governing party and the head of the foreign affairs committee, told parliament.
But since then, Sweden has amended its anti-terrorism laws, curbed the PKK's financial activities, convicted a terrorism suspect and extradited another, and lifted restrictions on arms sales to Turkey, Oktay said.
"PKK-affiliated circles no longer find a comfortable room for maneuver in Sweden as they did in the past," Oktay said, explaining why the ruling party was now supporting Stockholm's bid.
Sweden pledged deeper cooperation with Turkey on counterterrorism, as well as support for Turkey's ambition to revive its EU membership bid.
Last month, parliament's foreign affairs committee gave its consent to Sweden's bid in the first stage of the legislative process, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent its accession protocol to lawmakers for approval.
Turkey's main opposition party also supported Sweden's membership in the alliance but a center-right party and the country's pro-Kurdish party were among parties that opposed it.
"Sweden's steps concerning its extradition of wanted criminals or the fight against terrorism have remained limited and insufficient," Musavat Dervisoglu, a legislator from the Good Party told parliament.
Erdogan has made it clear that Sweden's NATO membership depends on Congress of the United States approving Turkey's desire to buy 40 F-16 fighter planes and upgrade kits to replace its current fleet. In addition, he has called on NATO countries like Canada to relax their arms embargoes against Turkey.
Another lawmaker from the Good Party, Koray Aydin, had pleaded with parliament to postpone ratifying Sweden's membership until after Washington approved the F-16 sales and the upgrade kits, arguing that doing so would give Turkey a significant leverage advantage.
The administration of US President Joe Biden never publicly linked the F-16 sale to Turkey's approval of Sweden's NATO membership. But several powerful Congressmen had declared they would not back the deal until and until Sweden's admission was approved by Turkey.
U.S. administration officials say they expect relatively quick action on the F-16 sale after the ratification.
Sullivan, the U.S. national security advisor, said after Tuesday's vote that Sweden's accession to the alliance has been a priority for Biden.
"Sweden is a strong, capable defense partner. Sweden joining NATO is in the national security interests of the United States, and will make the Alliance safer and stronger," he said.
Sweden and Finland abandoned their traditional positions of military nonalignment to seek protection under NATO's security umbrella, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland joined the alliance in April, becoming NATO's 31st member, after Turkey's parliament ratified the Nordic country's bid.
Hungary has also stalled Sweden's bid, alleging that Swedish politicians have told "blatant lies" about the condition of Hungary's democracy. Hungary has said it would not be the last to approve accession, although it was not clear when the Hungarian parliament intends to hold a vote.
On Tuesday, the prime minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, made public that he had written Ulf Kristersson, the prime minister of Sweden, inviting him to Budapest to talk about Sweden's NATO membership.
Turkey and Hungary were the only nations resisting NATO's expansion, which has frustrated other allies who have been pushing for Sweden and Finland to join NATO as soon as possible. NATO expansion requires the unanimous consent of all current members.
End//voice7news.tv
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