Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has anticipated that Sweden, a long-planned member, will finalize its accession to the alliance in 2024.
In an interview with the German news agency (DPA) at the end of the year, Stoltenberg expressed confidence that Sweden would become the 32nd member of the alliance, with the expected announcement to take place at the NATO summit in July at the latest.
He added that Sweden has fulfilled its commitments to Turkey. Currently, the United States and Turkey are in negotiations regarding the sale of F-16 fighter jets, which was the last demand made by the Turkish government.
Sweden submitted its application to join NATO in May 2022, a decision influenced by Russia's war on Ukraine. Sweden initially hoped to join later that summer.
However, Turkey accused Sweden of not adequately addressing its dealings with "terrorist organizations" such as the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and initially rejected Sweden's accession to the alliance.
It should be noted that all current NATO members must approve the addition of new members.
After Sweden made concessions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently announced that he would allow the Turkish parliament to ratify Sweden's membership. However, he also wants the US Congress to approve the sale of American F-16 fighter aircraft to Turkey.
Diplomats say Erdoğan's request comes in response to the fact that allies like the United States and Germany have restricted arms exports to Turkey in recent years, citing Turkey's arms purchases from Russia and concerns about the rule of law.
Stoltenberg emphasized Turkey's importance for security in Europe, citing its strategic geographic location on the Black Sea and its proximity to Iraq and Syria. He added that Turkey "plays a key role" in the fight against ISIS, and NATO uses Turkish infrastructure to defeat the terrorist organization.
Responding to questions about disputes with Turkey, Stoltenberg stated, "There are concerns expressed by NATO members about the conditions under which journalists work, and there are other issues related to the rule of law."
However, he also said that the goal is for NATO to be a platform for allies to express their concerns and raise issues.
The next NATO Summit is scheduled to be held in Washington from July 9 to 11, and the alliance will also celebrate its 75th anniversary.
For Sweden to become a full member of the alliance, all current NATO members must approve what is known as the Accession Protocol.
Apart from Turkey, Hungary has not yet ratified it. However, the government in Budapest has repeatedly stated that Hungary will not be the last country to take this step.
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