“Sweden will actively support efforts to revitalize Turkey’s accession process to the EU, including the modernization of the EU-Turkey customs union and visa liberalization,” the Atlantic Alliance statement read after the meeting between NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
At the end of this meeting, the secretary general of the Atlantic Alliance announced that Erdogan will send Sweden’s membership protocol to NATO as soon as possible so that it can be ratified by parliament.
In the press release, NATO states that both Turkey and Sweden will seek to “maximize opportunities to increase bilateral trade and investment,” after agreeing to step up economic cooperation, through the Joint Economic and Commercial Committee Turkey-Sweden ( JETCO).
For months Turkey blocked Sweden’s entry into NATO and Ankara accused Stockholm of granting asylum to elements of the PKK, which it considers a terrorist organization, and providing them with a base to coordinate operations on Turkish soil.
Sweden, a country that has historically criticized the Turkish state’s disregard for human rights, responded to some of Ankara’s requests by strengthening anti-terror laws, which came into effect on June 1, and also agreed with the extradition of some dissidents to Turkey.
In the press release released today, NATO also stressed that “Sweden and Turkey have worked closely together to address Ankara’s legitimate security concerns”, noting that Stockholm has changed its constitution and laws.
“Sweden and Turkey agreed today to continue their cooperation under the Trilateral Permanent Joint Mechanism established at the NATO Summit in Madrid in 2022 and under a new Bilateral Security Pact that will meet annually at ministerial level and will establish working groups where necessary,” the Atlantic Alliance stressed.
Both Sweden and Turkey agreed that “counter-terrorism cooperation is a long-term effort, which will continue after Sweden’s membership of NATO,” it read.
The Atlantic Alliance will also “significantly step up its work against terrorism” by establishing “for the first time in NATO the post of Special Counter-Terrorism Coordinator”.
“We are committed to the principle that there should be no restrictions, barriers or sanctions on trade and defense investment between the Allies. We will work to remove these obstacles,” NATO added in the statement.
The bulwark of the ratification of Sweden’s accession by the Turkish parliament could also be used by Ankara as a bargaining chip for the country’s ambition of acquiring F-16 fighter jets from the United States of America (US).
In October 2021, Turkey requested permission to purchase F-16s worth $20 billion (a little over €19 billion), as well as the modernization of 80 aircraft already owned by the Turkish Armed Forces.
US President Joe Biden approved the request and asked Congress to finalize the authorization. However, the acquisition process has since stalled as there are congressmen who oppose the progress being made by Erdogan’s executive on respect for human rights.
Members of both houses of the US Congress also criticized Ankara’s position to delay the Swedish accession process, for which reason they refuse to accede to the request to acquire the F-16s, while Turkey is delaying the process.
Source: DN
