Why is Turkey blocking Sweden from joining NATO?
Turkey is seeking military and political concessions, but may be overplaying its hand
MEMBERS OF THE North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) would like to announce some good news at their annual summit. The military alliance will gather in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, on July 11th for a two-day meeting. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reinvigorated NATO: in May 2022 Finland and Sweden applied to join it. Finland was admitted in April, but Sweden’s accession has been blocked by Turkey, one of NATO’s 31 members, ostensibly because the Nordic country harbours Kurdish separatists. On July 9th President Joe Biden told his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that he hopes to see Sweden join NATO “as soon as possible”. Why is Turkey holding out—and what does it hope to gain by doing so?
Explore more
More from The Economist explains
Where does Santa come from?
How a miracle-working Greek bishop, Dutch folk figure and early New York icon became the ubiquitous symbol of Christmas
Who are the main rebel groups in Syria?
They were united against the country’s dictator. Now they have little in common
Is RFK junior right to say America allows more toxins than the EU?
He is, but things are slowly beginning to change
What would it cost to kill coal?
The price of shutting down coal power, and what would be gained
Should America ban fluoride in its drinking water?
The idea by Robert F. Kennedy junior—nominated by Donald Trump as health secretary—may have teeth
Why is Donald Trump keen to use “recess appointments”?
The president-elect is testing the loyalty of the Senate’s next majority leader