Sweden is one step closer to NATO membership after voting concluded Tuesday.
When fighting in Ukraine broke out in February 2022, Sweden, along with Finland, requested to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). While Finland was accepted in April 2023, Sweden was not.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at first rejected Sweden’s bid due to a lack of action against anti-turkish militant groups operating or sheltering there, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Since this accusation, Sweden has changed its doctrine surrounding this issue and has agreed to collaborate better with Turkey.
The United States also weighed in heavily on Turkey, making both threats and offering incentives to allow the Swedish ascension into the alliance.
Voting results from the Turkish Parliament were as follows: Out of 346 members, 287 were in favor, 55 were against, and 4 abstained. Other nation’s officials have praised the decision to allow Sweden to advance in the process of membership.
