Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to forward Sweden's application to become NATO's 32nd member to Turkey's parliament for approval, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced on the eve of a NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital.
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Stoltenberg made the announcement on July 10 after talks in Vilnius with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
"This is a historic day," Stoltenberg said. "President Erdogan has agreed to forward the Accession Protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly as soon as possible and work closely with the assembly to ensure ratification."
Completing Sweden's accession "benefits the security of all NATO allies at this critical time," Stoltenberg said. "It makes us all stronger and safer."
Turkey has been holding up Sweden's application to join the alliance over objections to Stockholm’s harboring of Kurdish activists whom Ankara regards as terrorists.
Erdogan said in a statement that Sweden had taken steps in the right direction by amending its terror legislation. But he accused Stockholm of allowing demonstrations glorifying "terrorism" and thus undoing the progress made in an apparent reference to the burning of a Koran in front of a mosque in Sweden last week.
Erdogan earlier on July 10 made a surprise demand that the European Union revive Turkey's stalled EU membership bid as a precondition for Sweden joining NATO, prompting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to say they should "not be understood as related issues."
A separate joint statement outlining the agreement between Sweden and Turkey was also issued saying that Sweden will actively support efforts to reinvigorate Turkey's EU accession process, including modernization of the EU-Turkey Customs Union and visa liberalization.
It also said Turkey and Sweden would work closely in "counterterrorism coordination" and also boost bilateral trade ties.
Kristersson hailed the announcement and pledged to continue to fulfill all parts of the trilateral memorandum with Turkey and Finland.
"We take a very big step towards the formal ratification of Sweden's membership in NATO. It has been a good day for Sweden," Kristersson told reporters ahead of the NATO summit scheduled to start July 11 in Vilnius.
Sweden still needs the approval of Hungary, but Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said last week that Budapest would no longer block Sweden's NATO membership. NATO applications must be approved by all members.
In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022. Finland became a member in April 2023.
U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed Stoltenberg’s announcement on the agreement and said he was ready to work with Erdogan on enhancing defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area.
"I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Kristersson and Sweden as our 32nd NATO ally," he said in a statement.
Biden is due to hold face-to-face talks with Erdogan during the summit.
On July 11, U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden will move forward with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress.
Sullivan said Biden "had been clear that he supports the transfer." He did not give any details on the timing.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also welcomed the announcement, saying the path is “finally clear for Turkey's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership."
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also reacted positively.
"It is in everyone's interest for Sweden to join @NATO. Their accession makes us all safer. The UK welcomes the steps Turkey has taken today to bring this closer," he said on Twitter.