by Burak Akinci
ANKARA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye is facing mounting pressure from the United States to finalize Sweden's accession to the NATO, but Ankara is holding up ratification by demanding the sale of F-16 fighter jets, experts said.
On Dec. 14, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden spoke over the phone about Sweden's application to join NATO, which has been delayed for more than a year due to Ankara's opposition.
Erdogan told journalists this week the U.S. sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye and Canada's lift of arms embargo could help the Turkish parliament to ratify Sweden's NATO membership bid.
After Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, Sweden and Finland submitted applications to join NATO in May 2002. Both bids were initially rejected by Ankara, which claimed they were supporting anti-Türkiye and Kurdish separatist groups.
In March, Türkiye's parliament approved a bill to allow Finland to join NATO, clearing the way for the country to become a member of NATO in April. However, Türkiye has continued to slow-walk Sweden's accession, pointing to provocative events such as Quran-burning protests and anti-Türkiye demonstrations in the Nordic country.
In response, Sweden tightened its anti-terrorism laws in May, and in October, Erdogan forwarded the ratification bill to the Turkish parliament. However, a planned discussion at the foreign relations commission in October was surprisingly postponed.
A source close to the Turkish government, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that progress on the ratification of Sweden's NATO bid could be imminent as "the American side seems to have understood Türkiye's concerns."
According to the source, progress might entail the commission quickly adding the text to its agenda, and then sending it to a plenary session for a final discussion.
Batu Coskun, an Ankara-based foreign policy specialist and research fellow at Libya's Sadeq Institute, said the issue is urgent for Biden, who is making preparations for the 2024 presidential election.
"I think Biden wants this issue resolved as soon as possible before the U.S. presidential debate gets heated," he said.
However, Coskun said Türkiye will not approve Sweden's NATO bid unless the U.S. Congress takes action on the F-16 agreement.
Ankara has asked Washington to sell 40 F-16 fighter jets and kits to modernize its fleet. The deal has faced resistance from the U.S. Congress due to ongoing bilateral tensions, especially their differences in regional policies and Türkiye's rapprochement with Russia.
Coskun said Erdogan's criticism of Israel's attacks on Gaza had "diminished his standing in the U.S. Congress" and exacerbated the standoff.
Serkan Demirtas, a senior diplomatic affairs expert, said Türkiye's recent rapprochement with its neighbor and NATO member state Greece may encourage lawmakers in Washington to reconsider their opposition to the F-16 deal. During Erdogan's visit to Athens in early December, Greece and Türkiye made significant progress in mending relations after years of bitter tensions in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.
"One of the factors impeding the jets' delivery was bilateral disputes between Türkiye and the U.S.. Erdogan's visit to Greece demonstrated Ankara's readiness to improve relations with a fellow member of NATO," said Demirtas.
"Nevertheless, Türkiye will only approve Sweden's NATO bid if the U.S. Congress approves (the sale of F-16), so it's a waiting game," Demirtas added. ■
