The green light for Sweden’s accession to NATO was given on Monday night by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after a tripartite meeting with the Prime Minister of the Scandinavian country and the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg.

The c.g. of NATO confirmed the news and spoke of a “historic day”. “I am pleased to announce (…) that President Erdogan has agreed to advance the accession protocol for Sweden to the grand National Assembly as soon as possible and to work closely with parliament to ensure its ratification,” Stoltenberg told a news conference that he conceded, on the eve of the NATO summit.

Completing the accession process will be a “historic step”, Stoltenberg added.

After the meeting of the three sides, the terms of the agreement between Turkey and Sweden were announced and the commitment of the Turkish president to promote the Accession Protocol for Sweden to the great Turkish National Assembly.

In more detail, the announcement stated:

On 10 July 2023, President Recep Tayyip Erdoǧan of Turkey, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met at the NATO Summit in Vilnius.

-Since the last NATO Summit, Sweden and Turkey have worked closely together to address Turkey’s legitimate security concerns. As part of this process, Sweden amended its constitution, changed its laws, significantly expanded its counter-terrorism cooperation against the PKK and resumed arms exports to Turkey, all steps set out in the Tripartite Memorandum agreed in 2022.

-Sweden and Turkey agree today to continue their cooperation both in the framework of the Tripartite Permanent Joint Mechanism established at the NATO Summit in Madrid in 2022, and in the framework of a new bilateral Security Pact that will meet annually at ministerial level and will create working groups as appropriate. At the first meeting of this Security Compact, Sweden will present a road map as the basis of the continued fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations towards the full implementation of all elements of the Tripartite Memorandum, including Article 4. Sweden reiterates that will not provide support to the YPG/PYD and the organization described as FETÖ in Turkey.

-Both Sweden and Turkey agreed that counter-terrorism cooperation is a long-term effort, which will continue beyond Sweden’s NATO membership. Secretary General Stoltenberg also confirmed that NATO strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. NATO will significantly step up its work in this area, including the Secretary General establishing, for the first time in NATO, the position of Special Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism.

-We are committed to the principle that there should be no restrictions, barriers or sanctions on defense trade and investment between Allies. We will work to eliminate such obstacles.

-Sweden and Turkey also agreed to strengthen economic cooperation, through the Joint Turkey-Sweden Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO). Both Turkey and Sweden will seek to maximize opportunities to increase bilateral trade and investment. Sweden will actively support efforts to revitalize Turkey’s EU accession process, including the modernization of the EU-Turkey Customs Union and visa liberalization.

-On this basis, and taking into account the imperatives of deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic area, Turkey will forward the Accession Protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly and work closely with the Assembly to ensure ratification.