Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan, evaluating the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government held on July 11-12 and Türkiye's acceptance to support Sweden's NATO membership, stated that Türkiye partially got what it wanted at the summit. Arslan stated that Türkiye has no reservations about Sweden's membership, also noted that a counter-terrorism coordinator will be established for the first time in NATO history due to Türkiye's insistence, and emphasized that whether Sweden keeps its promise to support Türkiye in the fight against terrorism depends on our relations with the West and America.
Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations (English) at Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan, evaluated the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government held on July 11-12 and Türkiye's giving the green light to Sweden's NATO membership.
Prof. Dr. Arslan: “Türkiye partially got what it wanted”
Evaluating the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, from Türkiye's perspective, Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan said, “We can say that Türkiye partially got what it wanted at this summit. In fact, there was nothing else we could do. We pushed quite hard, and there was no point in pushing further. The conjuncture was so locked that it would have been impossible for Türkiye to say 'no' at this moment. If the conditions were different; for example, the recognition of Cyprus could have been brought as a condition. However, it is necessary to leave this confrontation in the most appropriate situation. And so it happened, it was left where it needed to be left. If 'no' had been said, greater pressure would have been put on Türkiye, and it would not have been good for Türkiye.”
For the first time in NATO history, a counter-terrorism coordinator will be established at Türkiye's insistence
Stating that Türkiye got what it wanted regarding terrorism at the summit, Arslan said, “Türkiye has no reservations about Sweden's membership; it has always stated that it is positive about NATO enlargement. If an agreement on counter-terrorism issues such as PKK, PYD, and FETÖ is implemented, we can say that Türkiye got what it wanted. Indeed, it needs to be recorded. For the first time in NATO history, a counter-terrorism coordinator will be established as a result of Türkiye's insistence on this issue. Therefore, this is a positive development.”
The government appears to be sincere and intent on a comprehensive improvement of all our relations in the new period…
Evaluating the anti-Swedish statements of some politicians, Arslan said, “NATO is not just about Sweden. There are other countries besides Sweden. What concerns us most is America's stance. Some see Mr. Erdoğan's move as opportunism to link with the European Union. I want to see it this way: the government, in the new period, appears to be sincere and intent on a comprehensive improvement of all our relations with the West, the European Union, NATO, America, and the Atlantic, and is taking steps to show its sincerity in this regard. As for the statements regarding Sweden, this depends more on where NATO and America position Türkiye than on Sweden itself. If Türkiye is to be an important ally for them and if we persistently pursue this, Sweden will inevitably do it. Because there will be a NATO coordination body. Whether Sweden keeps its promise on this matter depends on our relations with the West, and especially with America.”
We must continue our relations with the West by maintaining a balance with the East
Emphasizing the necessity of establishing a counter-terrorism coordination body, Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan said, “Sweden needs to take steps on this issue, but we must persistently and continuously emphasize it. Currently, what America most wanted was Sweden's admission to NATO. Sweden's admission stems from its own importance. What was important for us was the fight against terrorism.”
Sweden's membership is desired due to long-term plans
Referring to the global repercussions of Türkiye's decision on Sweden, Arslan said, “America, in particular, attaches great importance to Türkiye's acceptance of Sweden's NATO membership. If they consider Russia a threat, Finland's border with Russia is much longer. The answer to why they didn't prioritize this but did prioritize Sweden might be that America or the West views this issue from a very long-term perspective. Sweden is a very important country in terms of dominance in the North Sea. In March 2022, a NATO exercise was conducted. It was assumed that countries in southern Europe, including Türkiye, were covered with deserts, and the Arctic Sea had melted and become fertile lands. This exercise was conducted with the idea of dominating that region.”
Stating that the main goal of America and the Atlantic alliance is to gain dominance over the North Sea, Arslan continued her words as follows:
“The aim is to ensure NATO's expansion in countries like Sweden, Norway, and Finland. For these reasons, Sweden is so important. Another factor that makes Sweden important is its highly sophisticated defense industry and industrial products. It is also desired that these enter NATO's structure. Of course, there is also the effect of factors such as restricting Russia, which is not part of NATO or the Western alliance, and preventing China from infiltrating the North Sea.”
If Russia had reacted harshly, the Erdoğan-Putin meeting would not have taken place
Prof. Dr. Havva Kök Arslan, who also evaluated how Türkiye's approval of Sweden would affect Russia-Türkiye relations, said, “The Russians did not react too strongly to Türkiye's acceptance of Sweden. Because they knew this would happen, or they were aware that Türkiye could not do anything about it. This process is similar to Türkiye's resistance to 'enter the war' pressures during World War II until the very end, and eventually joining. The Russians understand us. They show understanding because they believe Türkiye cannot resist further on this matter.”