The parliament will decide whether Turkey will ratify Sweden’s bid to join NATO after MPs return from summer holidays, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a press conference on Wednesday after the NATO summit.
The parliament will return in October, but the ratification won’t be immediate, Erdoğan said. “There are many international agreements, many proposals to discuss. This will take its place among them in order of priorities. But our goal is to wrap this up as soon as possible.”
Ahead of the summit in Vilnius, Erdoğan called on European leaders to “first clear Turkey’s path in the EU, and we will clear Sweden’s”.
But the final decision lies with parliament and not himself, Erdoğan said. The president’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and smaller parties it is allied with hold the majority in parliament and are not expected to vote against his wishes.
Erdoğan met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson ahead of the summit.
Sweden and Turkey will increase cooperation against terrorism, Erdoğan said.
“Sweden will present a roadmap for efforts against all terrorist organisations … and as a member of the union, support our country’s EU accession process, the updating of the Customs Union, and the matter of visa waivers,” he said. “Upon discussions built on this foundation, we will proceed to the next stage regarding Sweden’s accession.”
