Turkey tells NATO Sweden will not be member by next meeting
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Two sources told Reuters that Turkey informed NATO that Sweden's membership will not be completed in time for the next meeting of alliance foreign ministers next week.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a media conference during a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 12, 2023 (AP)
Two sources acquainted with the situation told Reuters that Turkey has told NATO that confirmation of Sweden's membership application will not be completed in time for the country's accession ceremony at a meeting of alliance foreign ministers next week.
Last week, the Turkish parliament's foreign affairs panel postponed a vote on Sweden's NATO membership application to allow for additional discussions.
One source explained that the panel will likely resume its discussion of the issue on Tuesday or Wednesday. On those dates, Nov. 28-29, NATO foreign ministers will convene in Brussels, a gathering that some in the bloc had thought would signal Sweden's entrance.
Sweden submitted its NATO application in May 2022 with Finland, just several months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine.
Finland successfully joined in April 2023, while Sweden's application is still awaiting ratification by Turkey and Hungary.
Authorization for the bill must be presented by the Turkish Foreign Affairs Commission before being presented to a vote in the Turkish parliament, which might happen days or weeks later. Erdogan would then sign it into law, bringing the lengthy process to an end.
While NATO member Hungary has not confirmed Sweden's membership, Turkey is often seen as the major impediment to Sweden's entrance.
Back in October, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban addressed the country's parliament, asserting that ratifying Sweden's NATO bid was not an "urgent" matter. Orban accused Sweden of challenging Hungary's "democratic nature" in his remarks.
Hungary has yet to vote in favor of Sweden's accession to NATO, aligning itself with Turkey, which had previously blocked Sweden's membership but lifted its veto in July.
Turkey and Hungary stymied Sweden's bid, with Budapest citing grievances over Stockholm's criticism of Hungary's Prime Minister and Ankara accusing Sweden of harboring what it considers Kurdish terrorists and, most recently, meddling in Turkish elections.
Another issue of contention was the Biden administration's connection of the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey with Ankara's approval of Stockholm's NATO membership bid, to which Erdogan said that this "seriously upsets" his country.
