Unbelievable progress at NATO summit: How Sweden and Türkiye are changing the game

On July 10, 2023, significant strides were made at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, involving high-profile leaders – President Recep Tayyip Erdoǧan of Türkiye, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

The key highlight was the agreement to continue collaboration between Sweden and Türkiye under the Trilateral Permanent Joint Mechanism established at the Madrid NATO Summit 2022 and a new bilateral Security Compact.

The developments at the Summit revealed that since the last NATO meeting, Sweden and Türkiye have jointly addressed Türkiye’s security concerns. Actions included Sweden’s constitutional amendments, laws changes, counter-terrorism efforts against the PKK, and resuming arms exports to Türkiye. These were in alignment with the Trilateral Memorandum agreed in 2022.

The first meeting under the new bilateral Security Compact will see Sweden presenting a roadmap for its ongoing fight against terrorism. Sweden has affirmed it won’t support YPG/PYD or the organization known as FETÖ in Türkiye. Both nations agree that counter-terrorism efforts are long-term and will persist even after Sweden’s NATO accession.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, President of Türkiye
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson. Photo courtesy of NATO.

NATO’s Secretary General echoed the sentiment against terrorism and announced the creation of a new post – the Special Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism. He also reinforced the principle that allies should not impose restrictions, barriers, or sanctions on defense trade and investment.

Economic cooperation will also get a boost via the Türkiye-Sweden Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO). Efforts will be directed towards increasing bilateral trade and investments. Furthermore, Sweden has pledged to actively support Türkiye’s EU accession process.

In the light of these developments, and to enhance the deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic area, Türkiye will submit the Accession Protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly and will facilitate its ratification.