After a year of pushing to achieve membership, Turkey has finally agreed to back Sweden’s application for membership in NATO.
Sweden first applied for NATO membership in May 2022, following 200 years of wartime neutrality. The reason for the change of heart is to improve security and stability following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Turkey had been previously blocking the country’s membership. But after crunch talks between President Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the decision was made to finally allow Sweden to enter NATO.
The membership bid was initially made by Kristersson’s predecessor, Magdalena Andersson, but Kristersson made it a critical foreign policy priority after coming into office.
“We have taken seriously their very legitimate demand that every country that enters the alliance should contribute to additional security,” Kristersson explained to the Swedish broadcaster SVT.