Overlooked point behind Erdogan’s NATO choice

An overlooked point in the Vilnius agreement may have been behind Erdogan’s U-turn on the NATO issue.

In the center: The American F-16 planes.

– The agreement in Vilnius was not only about what Sweden would do, but also about what other countries would do, says Jens Stoltenberg.

– Of course, this also applies to the F-16.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Sweden to take part in the “Nato Industry Forum” conference, which will be held north of Stockholm on Tuesday and Wednesday, for the first time outside a NATO country.

In the morning today, he had a meeting with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M).

After Erdogan on Monday sent the ratification of Sweden’s membership application to the Turkish parliament, both Kristersson and Stoltenberg believe that Sweden’s NATO membership is now imminent.

– I don’t set any dates, I’ve never done that, for very good reasons. I have always been convinced that we would get to where we are now, and that should lead to a final ratification by both parliaments, but I am not setting a date, says Ulf Kristersson.

Nor did Jens Stoltenberg want to set a date, but expects it to go quickly.

– I myself would have liked it to go even faster, and I have pushed for it, but now we are following what we agreed on, says Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg himself spoke to Erdogan on Saturday, and says that he then highlighted that both Sweden and NATO delivered on the agreement from Vilnius last summer.

“Also applies to F-16”

An overlooked point in the agreement, however, may have had a bearing on the NATO process’s longest companion: The one about the American F-16 planes that Turkey wants to buy.

Erdogan said in September that he would let Sweden into NATO – if the US agreed to sell planes to Turkey.

When asked if he had discussed the F-16 plan with Erdogan, Stoltenberg referred to the Vilnius agreement. It describes, among other things, how Sweden and NATO are to increase work against terrorism.

– But it also has a point, where it is clearly stated that we must work to not only remove restrictions on Swedish arms exports to Turkey, but all NATO countries’ restrictions on arms exports. “Reduce and eliminate barriers for arms trade,” says Stoltenberg.

– Of course, this also applies to the F-16. It is covered by the agreement. I have emphasized that time and time again. The agreement in Vilnius was not only about what Sweden would do, but what other countries would do and what NATO would do as an organization. This applies to many types of weapon systems, including the F-16.

FACT Fifth point in the agreement between NATO, Sweden and Turkey

Read more