The Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, welcomed the signing of the protocol confirming Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. He indicated on X that he anticipated Sweden joining NATO once all procedures are completed and the process moves forward.
Kristersson stated on the social platform that President Erdoğan had signed the protocol and would present it to the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Parliamentary proceedings were set to commence, with Sweden looking forward to becoming a NATO member.
Sweden and Finland submitted applications to join NATO in May 2022, ending a long period of hesitation about the alliance. Turkey pressed for changes in the Nordic states’ counterterrorism efforts, particularly regarding Kurdish groups linked to the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. Finland resolved these concerns by joining NATO in April 2023, but Sweden had a longer impasse. On July 10, Erdoğan agreed to forward the Sweden protocol to the Turkish parliament promptly and to cooperate closely with lawmakers to secure approval. Aside from Turkey, Hungary has not yet given its consent, though Budapest indicated it would not be the last member to approve the decision.
Earlier statements suggested the Turkish parliament might reject Sweden’s NATO participation, but the situation evolved as discussions continued and steps were taken toward resolution.