Turkey greenlights Sweden's NATO membership ahead of critical summit
Subscribe for as low as
$2/week
to access this story and all reporting.
By entering your email, you agree to receive AL-MONITOR's daily newsletter and occasional marketing messages.
Why AL-MONITOR?
AL-MONITOR is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought and business leaders and academia.
Read by
Live news & notifications
Follow over 100 expert journalists based across the region and get notified in real time of breaking stories and exclusives. *Expanded coverage on Energy & Defense sectors.
Premier analysis of the Middle East
Access the sharpest and most diverse regional minds giving you all the angles on regional trends.
Live events & video
Priority access to roundtables, summits and other events alongside AL-MONITOR's global community of regional influencers.
Specialized Newsletters
Get timely reporting on key countries and sectors with up to 10 daily and weekly newsletters straight to your inbox.
Big, exclusive interviews
Follow conversations with the region's biggest names in politics and business.
AL-MONITOR archives since 2012
Access a repository of over a decade's worth of regional coverage, insights and trends.
Subscribe for unlimited access
By becoming an AL-MONITOR subscriber, you drive our team’s rigorous and independent journalism spanning the Middle East.
Turkey greenlights Sweden's NATO membership ahead of critical summit
Turkey’s president has suggested that Ankara’s stalled membership talks with the European Union be revived in exchange for greenlighting Sweden’s NATO accession to the ahead of a key summit in Vilnius.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media during a joint press conference with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on July 8, 2023, in Istanbul, Turkey. — Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Turkey agreed to advance Sweden’s NATO bid on Monday after intense diplomacy in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where a two-day summit of the alliance is set to kick off Tuesday.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Monday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had agreed to ask its parliament to advance Stockholm’s bid to join the transatlantic alliance, calling it a "historic step which makes all NATO allies stronger and safer."
President Joe Biden swiftly hailed the news, saying he stood “ready to work with President Erdogan and [Turkey] on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area." In a statement issued by the White House he added, "I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister [Ulf] Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO Ally. And I thank Secretary General Stoltenberg for his steadfast leadership.”
The news came after Erdogan met with Stoltenberg and Kristersson for a second time Monday, part of a last ditch attempt to get Ankara to approve Sweden's bid.
You're reading a free AL-MONITOR Original
Want more like this?
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.