Budget talks end, Sweden's NATO bid takes center stage

ANKARA

As the parliamentary debates on ministerial budgets reach a conclusion, the looming issue of Sweden's bid to join NATO has taken center stage in Türkiye's political arena.

The parliament's foreign affairs committee is set to convene on Dec. 26, chaired by ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmaker and former Vice President Fuat Oktay, to discuss Sweden's long-anticipated NATO membership.

The parliamentary sessions, after budgetary matters spanning almost two weeks, will segue into discussions on bills and party group meetings starting tomorrow.

The plenary session is set to revisit the unfinished debate on a bill proposing an extension of the one-off 5,000 Turkish Liras allowance for pensioners to those currently in employment, alongside other economic measures.

Of paramount concern in the foreign affairs committee's agenda is Türkiye's consistent call for Sweden to take decisive action against terror groups, particularly the PKK and FETÖ – the group behind the failed 2016 coup. Despite Sweden's legislative changes in its anti-terror laws since applying for NATO membership, Türkiye insists on "tangible steps" to combat terrorism.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hints at using Ankara's influence in NATO expansion discussions, asserting that the Turkish parliament will withhold approval for Sweden's bid unless the U.S. Congress ratifies the sale of F-16 jets to Türkiye.

Formal requests from Türkiye to purchase 40 new fighter jets and 79 modernization kits from the United States remain in limbo pending congressional approval.

A phone call between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Dec. 17 highlighted the "importance of ratifying Sweden’s NATO accession as soon as possible," according to a readout from the White House.

However, the U.S. also says the sale of F-16s is contingent upon the green light for Sweden's admission into the military alliance.

Ankara's bid for fighter jets followed its expulsion from the F-35 program due to the deployment of Russian S-400 air defense systems. Due to the objections in the U.S. Congress, the Biden administration has not yet formally sent the sale to the approval of the congressmen.

Meanwhile in response to these challenges, Türkiye has identified Eurofighter jets as an alternative, with Defense Minister Yaşar Güler consistently expressing that Ankara sees the advanced jets as the preferred option, citing its effectiveness. However, Germany, a key producer of the Eurofighter, has yet to give its approval, with reports suggesting concerns over Türkiye's natural gas drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean may be a factor.