The United States expressed satisfaction on Wednesday with the Turkish parliament's approval of Sweden's NATO membership bid, urging Turkey to complete the formal process. Vedant Patel,
Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department, stated in a briefing that the U.S. eagerly awaits Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's actions to officially conclude the process. Patel also emphasized the importance of receiving Turkey's instrument of ratification in Washington.
Additionally, the U.S. looks forward to Hungary's progression in the process, as the country is yet to approve Sweden's NATO bid. Patel encouraged all parties involved to proceed with the necessary steps to facilitate Sweden's NATO membership.
Turkey's parliament ratified Sweden's NATO membership bid on Tuesday, overcoming a significant hurdle in the alliance's expansion after a 20-month delay. With Hungary remaining the sole NATO member yet to ratify the accession, the process is close to completion.
All NATO members must approve applications from aspiring countries seeking to join the alliance. Turkey had raised objections when Sweden and Finland sought to join in 2022, citing concerns about the two countries' alleged protection of groups classified as terrorists. While Turkey endorsed Finland's membership in April of the previous year, it, along with Hungary, had withheld approval for Sweden until now.
Erdogan is expected to sign the legislation in the coming days, marking the formalization of Sweden's NATO membership.
The ratification of Sweden's NATO bid has been intertwined with the U.S. sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. The Biden administration has voiced support for the sale but continued to encourage Ankara to approve Sweden's NATO bid, suggesting a potential link between the two issues according to Congress.
Responding to inquiries about sending formal notification for the fighter jets once Sweden's NATO process is complete, Patel did not provide a specific timeline. He reiterated the U.S.'s support for modernizing Turkey's F-16 fleet, emphasizing its significance for NATO interoperability. Patel acknowledged Congress's pivotal role in reviewing arms sales and refrained from confirming details until formal notification to Congress occurs. Photo by Julo, Wikimedia commons.