Erdogan pledges to present Sweden's NATO membership bid to Turkish Parliament- NATO Chief

VILNIUS— In a historic move, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to present Sweden's NATO membership bid to the Turkish parliament "as soon as possible," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Monday.

Following talks with both Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Stoltenberg conveyed the news during a press briefing.

"President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly as soon as possible and work closely with the Assembly to ensure ratification,” he told reporters.

Stoltenberg lauded the development as "historic" and highlighted the commitment by Turkey to expedite the process of ratification within the Grand National Assembly.

"This is an historic day because we have a clear commitment by Turkey to submit the ratification documents to the Grand National Assembly, and to work also with the assembly to ensure ratification," he said.

The meeting resulted in a commitment from Turkey and Sweden to continue their cooperation in the fight against terrorism beyond Sweden's accession to NATO. A new bilateral Security Compact between the two nations was agreed upon, and Stoltenberg announced the establishment of the position of Special Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism within NATO.

"Completing Sweden’s accession to NATO is an historic step that benefits the security of all NATO Allies at this critical time. It makes us all stronger and safer," said Stoltenberg, emphasizing the significance of the event.

The Secretary General's announcement came on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania, following a year of Turkey's objections to Sweden's NATO accession.

Erdogan called on the countries that have been blocking Turkey's entrance into the European Union for over 50 years.

He said, "Come and open the way for Turkey’s membership in the European Union. When you pave the way for Turkey, we’ll pave the way for Sweden as we did for Finland."

The alliance leaders, including US President Joe Biden, will meet just 151km from Russia itself. A contingent of approximately 1,000 troops from 16 NATO allies have been deployed to safeguard the summit, contributing the advanced air defence systems lacking in the Baltic states.

The situation in Ukraine, NATO’s further strengthening of its collective deterrence and defence posture, NATO’s partnerships with MENA partners and Indo-Pacific partners and NATO’s practical support to specific partners, including Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, will feature high on the summit’s agenda.

According to NATO, one of the key issues set to dominate the summit is Ukraine's fate amid Russia's invasion and its NATO membership application. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to make a powerful appeal for Ukraine's inclusion once the war is over. Measures to strengthen political ties, offer long-term support and set up a NATO-Ukraine Council are among the likely responses.

NATO leaders will also have to resolve internal squabbling, with issues like Turkey’s reluctance to approve Sweden’s membership on the table.

Hosting the summit is a matter of great pride for Lithuania. The event is being held at LITEXPO – the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre, and marks the most high-profile international event that Lithuania has hosted since it joined the alliance in 2004.

Allies will also take major steps to strengthen deterrence and defence, with the adoption of three new regional defence plans to counter the two main threats to NATO: Russia and terrorism. The plans will be supported by 300,000 troops on higher readiness, including substantial air and naval combat power, NATO said.

Allies are also expected to endorse a Defence Production Action Plan to “aggregate demand, boost capacity, and increase interoperability” and a more ambitious defence investment pledge to invest a minimum of 2 per cent of Gross Domestic Product annually on defence.