Negotiations for Turkey to Approve Sweden’s Bid to NATO Membership Devolve Into Ugly Bargaining – Conflict in Middle East May Further Complicate Things
The long soap opera of Sweden’s accession is ongoing, and in many ways, it has devolved into an unashamed bargain season over Turkey’s defense needs that are currently overlooked by its ‘partners’ in NATO.
Many times Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pictured as ‘blackmailing’ the West, as holding Sweden’s membership ‘hostage’ – but it does seem to be a mutual give-and-take political exercise that – ugly as it is to behold – is not that unusual.
Erdogan expects Washington to ‘simultaneously’ approve the sale of F-16 jets to Ankara in exchange for their ratifying Sweden’s stalled bid to join the NATO alliance.
Erdogan believes he did his ‘duty’ by referring Sweden’s NATO accession decision to the Turkish parliament, and expects US Congress to similarly approve Turkey’s request to buy billions of dollars worth of F-16 fighters.
Financial Times reported:
“’As the president, I referred [Sweden’s NATO bid] to the parliament and you thanked me’, Erdogan said he told his Western counterparts, according to comments reported by Turkish media on Wednesday. ‘I have done my duty, but I expect something from you, too… You should simultaneously pass this issue through your Congress’.
The remarks highlight the fraught tit-for-tat that has prolonged Sweden’s request to join the Western alliance. Turkey, along with Hungary, is the only NATO member that has not yet moved to approve Stockholm’s accession.
The Biden administration has been supportive of Turkey’s request to buy F-16s to bolster its aging fleet, but the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has been reluctant to approve the purchases. Ben Cardin, chair of the powerful panel, said in September that Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s NATO bid was just one of several challenges in approving the purchase of the fighter jets.”
Turkey’s foreign affairs committee member Bilal Bilici:
“There is a deep mistrust between [the US and Turkey] and under the current circumstances, it seems difficult for the impasse to be overcome before the local elections in March 2024.”
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But the F-16 fighter planes are not the only point of pressure that the west found to ‘influence’ the Turkish leader.
Erdogan has also said that Canada and the United States were ‘insisting’ that Ankara ratify Sweden’s NATO membership bid before Canada resumes the export of drone cameras to Turkey.
Reuters reported:
“When Erdogan signaled at a NATO conference in July that Sweden would eventually get the green light, NATO member Canada quietly agreed to re-open talks with Turkey on lifting export controls on drone parts, including optical equipment, Reuters reported.
‘On the issue of drone cameras we wanted from them, Canada is insisting: Sweden, Sweden. The U.S. is repeating the same thing’, Erdogan said.”
Turkey, which is a NATO member, asked back in October 2021 to buy 40 F-16 fighters and also 79 modernization kits for its ageing warplanes.
“‘If you have your Congress, I have my parliament. You say you will take a step in the F-16 issue after passing through Congress. I also have a parliament’, Erdogan said.
‘If we are two NATO allies, then do what you have to simultaneously, in solidarity, and our parliament will take the necessary decision’.”
To worsen the situation, we now have tensions between Ankara and Washington much increased by the conflict in the Middle East.
Read : Turkey Agrees to Support NATO Membership for Sweden After Demands Met
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of rightwing party in Turkey
said his party will only approve Sweden’s bid to join NATO if the members of the Atlantic alliance take steps for the recognition of an independent Palestine, and also try Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza.
That seems likely!
Turkish Minute reported:
“’We will say, ‘OK’ to Sweden’s NATO membership if an independent state of Palestine with territorial integrity is recognized on the basis of its 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, if Israel agrees to pay damages [for its violent actions against Palestinians] and the way for the trial of Netanyahu at [the International Court of Justice] The Hague is opened’, said Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Bahçeli, who is an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”
Some time ago, Bahçeli also objected to Sweden’s membership due to its support for members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
“’Sweden is the PKK’s hideout in Europe. Stockholm is the same as Kandil’, Bahçeli said, referring to the Kandil Mountains in northern Iraq, the stronghold of PKK militants.
More than 40,000 people, including 5,500 security force members, have been killed in four decades of fighting between Turkish security forces and the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and much of the international community.”
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