Turkish President Recep Erdoğan signed the protocol on Swedenʼs accession to NATO and submitted it to the Grand National Assembly (Parliament) for consideration.
Earlier, the Turkish president said that the Turkish parliament would fulfill its promise to ratify Swedenʼs bid to join NATO if Washington allowed the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara. Turkey sent a request to the US for the purchase of F-16 aircraft and spare parts. The agreement provides for the purchase of 40 new and modernization of 79 old aircraft owned by the Turkish Air Force.
- In May 2022, Sweden and Finland renounced their traditional neutrality against the backdrop of Russiaʼs military invasion of Ukraine and applied for NATO membership. Finland joined the bloc in April 2023. Of the 30 NATO countries, Turkey and Hungary have not yet ratified Swedenʼs accession. Turkey blocked the entry, arguing that Stockholm had not fulfilled its obligations to extradite alleged Kurdish extremists.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on June 4 that Sweden has fulfilled all Turkeyʼs requirements for joining the Alliance.