1 of 1 The Turkish parliament approved Sweden's accession to NATO this Tuesday (23). — Photo: Reproduction/Portal The Turkish parliament approved Sweden's accession to NATO on Tuesday (23). — Photo: Reproduction/Portal
The Turkish Parliament approved this Tuesday (23) Sweden's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending months of negotiations between the country and the military alliance. There were 287 yes votes and 55 no votes.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has yet to sign the decision for Sweden to become the 32nd country to join the alliance, which is expected to happen in the coming days. All that is now missing is Hungary's consent to Sweden's accession to the organization. For a new country to join, the consent of all NATO members is required.
Since 2022, Turkey has opposed Sweden's entry into the military alliance after Stockholm applied to join NATO following Russia's largescale invasion of Ukraine. Although it rejects the invasion, the Turkish government criticizes the West's sanctions against Moscow.
Turkey and Hungary have better relations with Russia than other members of NATO, a U.S.led alliance.
Hungary said it believes NATO membership is “not a priority” for Sweden because of the country’s actions. The country had promised not to be the last ally to ratify Sweden's membership, but Hungary's parliament is in recess until midFebruary.
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the country was “one step closer to NATO membership.”
In April 2023, Finland officially joined NATO. Finland's entry into the alliance was one of the most important movements in global geopolitics since the start of the war in Ukraine, further heightening tensions between the West and Russia, which began to officially share a border of more than 1,300 kilometers with a member country of the alliance Alliance. Military of the West.
In July 2023, Erdogan agreed to submit Sweden's proposal to join NATO to parliament. At the time, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “President Erdogan has agreed to forward Sweden's accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly as quickly as possible and to work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with the collective.
NATO announced on January 18 that it would conduct the largest military exercise since the Cold War. 90,000 soldiers from all alliance countries as well as Sweden have been called up for the operation, which is scheduled to take place this week. Completion is scheduled for May. More than 1,200 combat vehicles are used, including ships, fighter aircraft, helicopters, drones and tanks.
The military will take part in a series of joint exercises using the scenario of a “Russian attack,” according to NATO General Commander in Europe General Christopher Cavoli.
The organization became the focus of international diplomatic discussions in midApril and May 2022 due to the possibility of Finland and Sweden joining in the midst of the Ukraine war. In April 2023, Finland officially joined the group.
The organization was founded in 1949, during the socalled Cold War, under the leadership of the USA as an opposition to the defunct Soviet Union. During the Cold War, countries aligned with the United States were members of NATO, and the Soviet Union had a similar alliance, the Warsaw Pact. After the dissolution of the communist bloc in 1991, many Warsaw Pact countries joined NATO including Poland, whose capital Warsaw gave its name to the old alliance.
Since then, NATO has operated primarily as an alliance that protects the economic interests of its members, with a few exceptions, such as when it acted directly in Libya in the conflict over the overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
- Albania (2009)
- Germany (1955)
- Belgium (1949)
- Bulgaria (2004)
- Canada (1949)
- Czech Republic (1999)
- Croatia (2009)
- Denmark (1949)
- Slovakia (2004)
- Slovenia (2004)
- Spain (1982)
- United States (1949)
- Estonia (2004)
- Finland (2023)
- France (1949)
- Greece (1952)
- Netherlands (1949)
- Hungary (1999)
- Iceland (1949)
- Italy (1949)
- Latvia (2004)
- Lithuania (2004)
- Luxembourg (1949)
- North Macedonia (2020)
- Montenegro (2017)
- Norway (1949)
- Poland (1999)
- Portugal (1949)
- United Kingdom (1949)
- Romania (2004)
- Turkiye (1952)