Erdogan flipped on Sweden’s NATO membership

July 11, 2023
While Europe and the United States were trying to isolate Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey referred to Russia’s president as “my friend.” While NATO leaders worked to enlarge the alliance, Mr. Erdogan held up the process by seeking concessions for his nation.

Then on Monday, Mr. Erdogan suddenly flipped after more than a year of being treated as an in-house spoiler by Western allies. He dropped his objections to Sweden joining the alliance and allowed a NATO summit to convene on Tuesday with a new sense of strength and unity.

Mr. Erdogan has yet to comment publicly on his decision, much less explain his change of heart, but he appears to have concluded that he had little more to gain from continuing to block Sweden — and that he could potentially benefit more from mending his sour relationships with the United States and other NATO allies.

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