Is Turkey going to approve Sweden's NATO bid soon?

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that Ankara may give its approval to Sweden's application for NATO membership ahead of the alliance's summit in Vilnius scheduled for July. "Last Friday, I spoke with the Swedish foreign minister. I told him about the decision on Finland, so that he learned about it from us first. He expressed hope that the NATO accession process would be completed by the alliance’s summit, to which I replied, ‘It all depends on you," the Turkish foreign minister said, as per a report from TASS. 

In May 2022, Finland and Sweden submitted applications for NATO membership, which were subsequently vetoed by Turkey. The Turkish government reportedly demanded that the Nordic countries declare Kurdish organizations as terrorist groups and extradite individuals accused of terrorism or involvement in the attempted coup in Turkey in 2016 as a condition for their approval.

Greenlight for Finland?

According to sources, Ankara is of the view that Helsinki has largely adhered to the terms of the memorandum, while Stockholm has not lived up to its commitments, leading to Turkish dissatisfaction. Turkey maintains that Sweden has yet to meet the requirements for NATO membership, citing the country's failure to fulfill its obligations under the memorandum. Last Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara was prepared to approve Finland's application for NATO membership. The protocol for ratification has been submitted to the Turkish parliament for review and is anticipated to be approved sometime this week.

What are the steps a nation has to go through to join NATO?

NATO, which stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is an intergovernmental military alliance that was formed in 1949 to provide collective defense against external threats. Joining NATO is a complex process that involves several stages and requires meeting certain criteria.

The steps a country typically goes through to become a member of NATO are:

Expression of interest: The first step towards joining NATO is for a country to express its interest in becoming a member. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as through official channels or through informal discussions with NATO officials.

Contacting NATO: Once a country expresses its interest in joining NATO, it will be contacted by NATO officials who will provide information about the process and the requirements for membership.

Political dialogue: The next step is for the country to engage in a political dialogue with NATO, which typically involves discussing the country's foreign policy, defense capabilities, and its commitment to democratic values.

Membership Action Plan (MAP): If NATO decides that the country is a potential candidate for membership, it will offer it a Membership Action Plan (MAP). The MAP is a tailored program that outlines the reforms and changes the country needs to make in order to meet NATO's standards.

Implementation of MAP: Once a country receives the MAP, it must implement the reforms and changes outlined in the plan. This can involve changes to the country's political and legal systems, military capabilities, and defense spending.

Membership invitation: If the country successfully implements the MAP, it may receive an invitation to join NATO. The invitation is typically issued by the NATO Secretary General on behalf of the member countries.

Ratification: Once a country receives an invitation to join NATO, it must ratify the North Atlantic Treaty and complete any other legal requirements for membership.

Accession: After ratification, the country becomes a member of NATO and gains access to all the benefits of membership, including collective defense, political consultation, and access to military capabilities and resources.