Sweden and Türkiye to hold meeting on Sweden's delayed NATO bid

This development signals the readiness of both nations to engage in constructive dialogue and explore the implications and progress of Sweden's aspiration for NATO membership.

According to the Swedish foreign ministry, the scheduled meeting between the foreign ministers of Sweden and Türkiye will primarily focus on the specific challenges faced by Stockholm in its pursuit of NATO membership. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Sweden and Finland both submitted applications to join NATO. While Finland successfully obtained membership in the Western military alliance in April, Sweden's bid has faced objections from Türkiye and Hungary, resulting in a delay.

Initially, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom informed broadcaster SVT on Monday about his planned meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, during a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo on Thursday. However, a spokesperson for Billstrom later confirmed that the Turkish foreign minister would not be attending the event, leading to the cancellation of the meeting. Nonetheless, the spokesperson reassured that the meeting would still occur in the near future, underscoring the commitment of both nations to engage in productive discussions.

On May 17, 2022, Sweden's foreign minister, Ann Linde, officially signed Sweden's application to join NATO, following Finland's previous declaration of intent. The formal submission of their NATO membership applications by both countries took place on May 18, 2022.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has voiced opposition to the NATO membership aspirations of Finland and Sweden, citing concerns related to the presence of groups classified as terrorist organizations by Türkiye operating within their territories. These groups include the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), Democratic Union Party (Syria) (PYD), People's Defense Units (YPG), and supporters of Fethullah Gülen, a US-based Muslim cleric accused by Türkiye of orchestrating a failed coup attempt in 2016. Erdoğan has emphasized that it would be "impossible" for Türkiye to endorse the NATO membership applications of Finland and Sweden under these circumstances.

While there were initial hopes for a joint approach with Finland, the Finnish government has decided to pursue its NATO membership independently if approved by all NATO members. On April 4, Finland's formal accession ceremony to NATO was followed by Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto submitting the ratification of Sweden's membership to the organization, demonstrating support for Sweden's bid. (ILKHA)