Sweden has confirmed its “readiness” and is taking important steps to meet Turkey’s demands for approving Stockholm’s NATO membership application, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.
After decades of military nonalignment, Russia’s war in Ukraine pushed Sweden and Finland to apply to join the Western defense alliance in May. But they have faced resistance from Turkey, which has vetoed their entry into the alliance, citing their support to terrorist groups, including the PKK and its Syrian wing, the YPG.
Addressing a press conference alongside Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in Stockholm, Stoltenberg said he was “glad” that the Swedish government has confirmed its “readiness to address Turkey’s concerns as part of assuming the obligations of future NATO membership.”
He suggested there has been progress in the spat, stressing that NATO was working “hard and actively” together with Stockholm and Ankara to resolve Turkey’s concerns “as soon as possible.”
Stoltenberg said Sweden was showing compromise on two points.
“I welcome that Sweden has already started to change its counter-terrorism legislation and that Sweden will ensure that the legal framework for arms export will reflect the future status as a NATO member with new commitments to allies,” he said.
“These are two important steps to address concerns that Turkey has raised.”
“The aim is to solve those issues as soon as possible, to be able to welcome Finland and Sweden as full members as soon as possible,” he said.
While the two Nordic countries have said talks would continue to resolve the dispute, Ankara said it had not received any responses to its demands, including stopping support for groups Turkey considers terrorists, lifting arms embargoes on Ankara and extraditing suspects it seeks.
Any bid to join NATO requires backing from each of its 30 members. Turkey, which has been a NATO ally for over 70 years, has said it will not change its view unless the Nordic countries take “concrete steps” about its concerns.
Stoltenberg stressed that the security concerns of all NATO allies should be addressed.
When asked about the talks between Sweden, Finland, Turkey, and NATO, Stoltenberg said: "I don't think it would be helpful if I go into the details of those talks".
He, however, added: "They indicate that Sweden and Finland are ready to in a concrete way address concerns related to terrorism."
For her part, Andersson said Sweden was taking Turkish concerns “very seriously, not least the security concerns when it comes to the fight against terrorism," and added that her “ambition is that we should have these matters resolved.”
She said Sweden had changed its terrorism laws in the last couple of years and was in the process of further tightening.
“From July 1, we will also have even stronger legislation when it comes to the fight against terrorism. So here there are no questions about how strongly Sweden sees (on) terrorism and that we are willing to contribute to the fight against terrorism,” Andersson said.
Andersson also said both Sweden and Finland will be security providers for the region and for the entire NATO, including Turkey.
Sweden and Finland had imposed arms export embargoes on Turkey after its military operation seeking to clear northern Syria east of the Euphrates of the YPG in 2019.
Andersson also said Sweden’s independent weapons export agency would be prepared to review its policy once the country was a NATO member.
Stoltenberg also said the aim was to have Sweden and Finland join NATO “as soon as possible” and that it was inconceivable that NATO allies would not come to Sweden's defense if it were attacked.
He had previously said Sweden and Finland would be welcomed into NATO “with open arms” and expected the Turkey issue to be resolved before a NATO summit due to begin in Madrid on June 28.
But speaking in Finland on Sunday, he suggested the dispute may drag on, saying “the summit in Madrid was never a deadline.”
Security concerns raised by Turkey in its opposition to Finnish and Swedish NATO membership applications are legitimate, Stoltenberg also said in Finland on Sunday.
In late May, Turkey hosted consultations with Swedish and Finnish delegations in Ankara on their NATO applications. Erdoğan said the meetings had not been “at the desired level.”
Ankara’s main demands are for the Nordic countries to halt support for the PKK/YPG in their territory and to lift their bans on sales of some arms to Turkey. Ankara says the arms ban against an ally is inappropriate for prospective members of the security pact.
