Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom announced on Wednesday that Turkey has indicated it will approve Sweden’s long-awaited NATO membership within weeks.
This development follows Sweden and Finland’s application to join NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine. Turkey, a NATO member, had previously objected, accusing both nations of harboring groups it labels as terrorists. While Finland’s bid was approved by Turkey in April, Sweden’s application remained pending.
Billstrom shared this update before the second day of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, though Turkey has not yet officially confirmed or commented on this matter. Turkey has been pressing Sweden to clamp down on local members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), labeled a terrorist organization by the EU and the U.S.
In response, Stockholm has passed an anti-terrorism law criminalizing membership in terrorist organizations and lifted arms export bans on Turkey, asserting it has met the conditions of a deal agreed upon last year.
There was an expectation within NATO for Sweden’s ratification to be finalized by now, potentially coinciding with an accession ceremony during the Brussels meeting.
“The Turkish foreign minister (Hakan Fidan) didn’t present a date but said ‘within weeks’. He expected the ratification of Sweden’s NATO protocol to be made within weeks. That was what he told me yesterday,” Billstrom said.
His remarks echoed comments by a senior US State Department official.
“I will say the summary of the meeting was it will be done before the end of the year,” said the official, speaking on Tuesday on condition of anonymity.
Sweden’s NATO membership is also pending ratification by Hungary.
“(Prime Minister) Viktor Orban has repeatedly said that Hungary won’t be the last to ratify Sweden’s membership,” Billstrom said, adding that Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto again confirmed this when they talked on Tuesday.
“That means that it is more in the hands of Ankara than maybe of Budapest. We expect white smoke from Budapest the moment there is white smoke from Ankara,” Billstrom said.
