UPSC Current Affairs
Turkey finally backs Sweden’s NATO bid
Context: Recently Sweden’s attempt to join NATO cleared a major hurdle after Turkey’s parliament supported its membership. It is important note that for a new country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) all the existing members have to approve it. Turkey and Hungary had been opposing Sweden’s entry into NATO for almost the past two years.
VRAuthor Desk
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Context: Recently Sweden’s attempt to join NATO cleared a major hurdle after Turkey’s parliament supported its membership. It is important note that for a new country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) all the existing members have to approve it. Turkey and Hungary had been opposing Sweden’s entry into NATO for almost the past two years.
Context:
- Recently Sweden’s attempt to join NATO cleared a major hurdle after Turkey’s parliament supported its membership.
- It is important note that for a new country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) all the existing members have to approve it.
- Turkey and Hungary had been opposing Sweden’s entry into NATO for almost the past two years.
Why does Sweden want to join NATO?
- Sweden has not fought a war in two centuries and stayed neutral through the two World Wars and the Cold War.
- In recent years, although it joined the European Union and collaborated with NATO, it showed no intention of actually joining the military alliance.
- However, this neutrality was abandoned after Russia invaded Ukraine.
- With public opinion increasingly in favour of getting into NATO, both Sweden and Finland applied for membership in 2022.
- While Finland’s bid was cleared, Sweden ran into stiff opposition from Turkey’s President and Hungary’s Prime.
- Once a country is a NATO member, an attack on its territory is considered an attack on the US-led alliance, and all 31 members are obliged to defend each other under the NATO treaty.
Why was Turkey opposing Sweden’s bid?
- Turkey had accused Sweden of being soft on groups it sees as terrorists, such as the Kurdish militant outfit the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
- Quran-burning protests held in Sweden, which its government says are protected under freedom of speech laws, further worsened its relationship with Turkey.
- Hungary had been seen as following Turkey’s lead in blocking Sweden.
- Its grievances with the country include Stockholm’s negative remarks about the rule of law and also state of democracy under Orban.
What will Sweden bring to NATO?
- Once Sweden becomes a member, almost all of the Baltic Sea coastline, except that in Russia’s control, will become the NATO territory.
- This will provide the alliance strategic bases close to Russia, make supply lines more streamlined and connected, and make it easier to defend assets in the sea.
- Sweden’s military, though numerically small, is modern and experienced in previous NATO missions.
- Importantly, it has advanced aircraft and submarine capabilities.
- Prelims: Key facts, institutions, locations and terminology in the article.
- Mains: Connect the topic with Economy, Defence, Polity & Governance.
- Revision: Use the article headings to prepare concise notes and answer-writing points.
Test your understanding
Questions from this article
Prelims practiceWith reference to Turkey finally backs Sweden’s NATO bid, consider the following statements:
- Recently Sweden’s attempt to join NATO cleared a major hurdle after Turkey’s parliament supported its membership.
- It is important note that for a new country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) all the existing members have to approve it.
- Turkey and Hungary had been opposing Sweden’s entry into NATO for almost the past two years.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
View answer
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3. All three statements are drawn from the article.
Mains practiceDiscuss the background, key issues and significance of Turkey finally backs Sweden’s NATO bid for India.
Answer in 250 words.
View answer approach
- Context:
- Why does Sweden want to join NATO?
- Why was Turkey opposing Sweden’s bid?
- What will Sweden bring to NATO?
Frequently asked questionsFrequently asked questions
Why is Turkey Finally Backs Sweden’S Nato Bid in the news?
Context: Recently Sweden’s attempt to join NATO cleared a major hurdle after Turkey’s parliament supported its membership. It is important note that for a new country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) all the existing members have to approve it.
What are the key facts about Turkey Finally Backs Sweden’S Nato Bid?
Turkey and Hungary had been opposing Sweden’s entry into NATO for almost the past two years. Sweden has not fought a war in two centuries and stayed neutral through the two World Wars and the Cold War. In recent years, although it joined the European Union and collaborated with NATO, it showed no intention of actually joining the military alliance.
Why is Turkey Finally Backs Sweden’S Nato Bid important for UPSC preparation?
The topic connects current developments with Economy, Defence, Polity & Governance and is relevant for both objective revision and analytical answer writing.