As of: January 23, 2024, 12:10 p.m
By: Florian Naumann
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Sweden is still waiting to join NATO.
There is acute movement in Turkey.
The reason could be fighter jet plans.
Germany is also in focus.
Ankara/Stockholm - Sweden has been waiting for the green light from Turkey to join NATO for months - Tuesday (January 23rd) could now be a crucial day: the parliament in Ankara is dealing with the issue.
And sometimes sends positive signals.
“We supported the protocol on Sweden's membership and will continue our support for Sweden's NATO membership in the General Assembly of Parliament,” said the head of the right-wing extremist MHP, Devlet Bahçeli, in front of his group, according to the
IHA
agency .
The MHP is allied with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's AKP.
The new situation in the Sweden question may be related to an arms deal.
Türkiye now in favor of Sweden joining NATO?
There are speculations about a fighter jet deal
At least that's what the Swedish broadcaster
SVT
speculates .
“It is possible that there is some kind of agreement with the US on the trade of fighter jets, but there is no public information about this,” Turkey correspondent Tomas Thorén explained this morning.
There is a mood of “tense anticipation”.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish Parliament - here at the opening session in June 2023. © IMAGO/Recep Tayyip Erdogan Office/apaimages
A quick decision seems possible.
A debate in the General Assembly is scheduled for Tuesday, with a vote likely the same day,
Al-Jazeera
reported, citing Turkish state media.
However, the agenda item is the 42nd and last item on the agenda;
the meeting begins at 1 p.m. German time.
However, the
AFP
news agency did not expect the final vote until Thursday.
Fighter jets wanted for Erdoğan: Germany is also in the spotlight
New developments in Turkey's stance on Sweden's accession to NATO had already become apparent before the turn of the year.
However, there were always twists and turns in the complicated struggle with Erdoğan.
It is surprising that there are now such concrete signs.
Erdoğan had said that positive signals from the USA about the delivery of F-16 fighter jets could accelerate the process in parliament.
However, it still seems completely unclear whether there could be a majority for the deal in the US Congress, as
Reuters
reported.
Now the focus is also on Germany.
Because another possible solution would be the delivery of Eurofighter fighter jets.
In view of the stalemate with the USA, Turkey had already shown interest in the European variant in November.
Eurofighter Typhoon jets are “the best alternative to the F-16s,” a Turkish defense ministry insider told
Reuters
at the time .
However, a veto from Germany seemed possible.
A planned Eurofighter trade with Saudi Arabia could put the federal government around Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock under new pressure, political scientist Ronald Meinardus recently speculated in an article on
Focus Online
.
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Sweden is missing Turkey and Hungary from joining NATO: Orbán sends “invitation”
If Turkey actually agrees, Sweden would still have to overcome one last hurdle: Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has not yet given the green light.
Apparently there is movement here too.
Orbán said on Tuesday on the short message service
In Hungary's parliament, the vote on this is considered a formality.
The responsible committees have already voted in favor.
However, Hungary repeatedly postponed the final vote at Orbán's instigation - out of anger at criticism from Sweden about the state of the rule of law in Hungary.
At the same time, Orbán had always emphasized that his country did not want to be the last to ratify Sweden's accession to NATO.
This could now put him under time pressure.
In Sweden, however, there are ministerial warnings about the dangers of war.
(
fn/bb with material from dpa and Reuters
)