The Turkish parliamentary committee has recommenced discussions regarding Sweden’s application to join NATO

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament is set to continue discussions regarding Sweden’s application to join NATO. This development comes shortly after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tied Sweden’s accession to the alliance with the U.S. Congress’s approval of Turkey’s request to buy F-16 fighter jets.

Turkey, a NATO member, initially opposed Sweden’s NATO membership but agreed to it in July. However, the ratification process in the Turkish Parliament has been delayed. Turkey has criticized Sweden for not adequately addressing its security concerns, particularly regarding Kurdish militants and other groups Ankara deems as threats.

Recently, Erdogan added a new condition, linking the approval of Sweden’s NATO bid to the U.S. Congress’s authorization of Turkey’s purchase of 40 F-16 jets and upgrades for its current fleet. He also urged Canada and other NATO countries to lift arms embargoes on Turkey.

Although the White House supports Turkey’s F-16 request, there is significant opposition within the U.S. Congress to arms sales to Turkey.

The Turkish parliamentary committee began debating Sweden’s NATO membership last month but postponed further discussions as the ruling party requested more time to clarify certain issues and negotiate with Sweden.

If the committee approves Sweden’s bid, it will then go to the full assembly for a vote.

Both Sweden and Finland sought NATO membership for security reasons following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland became NATO’s 31st member in April after the Turkish parliament ratified its application.

NATO’s expansion requires unanimous approval from all current members. Currently, Turkey and Hungary are the only holdouts. Hungary has delayed Sweden’s application, accusing Swedish politicians of misrepresenting Hungary’s democratic status.

This situation has caused frustration among other NATO allies, who were quick to welcome Sweden and Finland into the alliance.