Turkish Parliament Approves Sweden's NATO Accession after Prolonged Standoff

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed gratitude, stating, "Today we are one step closer to becoming a full member of NATO. Positive that the Grand General Assembly of Türkiye has voted in favor of Sweden’s NATO accession," on X (formerly Twitter).

According to the BBC, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to sign the bill within days, leaving Hungary as the final member of the 31-nation alliance to approve Sweden’s bid. Ankara had initially resisted Sweden's accession, demanding a tougher stance from the Nordic country regarding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey considers a terrorist group. Accusing Swedish authorities of harboring Kurdish activists with ties to the PKK, Turkey demanded their extradition.

Sweden, along with its neighbor Finland, applied to join the US-led bloc in May 2022, abandoning its longstanding policy of non-alignment three months after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. Finland officially became a NATO member in April 2023, doubling the Western alliance's border length with Russia.

In anticipation of possible escalation, Swedish politicians have urged the public to prepare, with Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom cautioning about a "drawn-out confrontation" with Moscow. This development coincides with NATO planning its largest war games in decades. The drill, named ‘Steadfast Defender 2024,’ is set to run from February to May, involving around 90,000 troops from all 31 member states, including Sweden, as announced by NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe Christopher Cavoli last week.

Moscow has persistently argued that NATO's continuous expansion toward its borders poses a threat to its national security, citing the alliance's ties with Ukraine as a root cause of the ongoing conflict.