The country applied for membership in the Alliance at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Turkish parliament is due to vote on Sweden’s entry into NATO this week. Bloomberg writes about this, citing the words of a high-ranking Turkish official.
It is noted that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party, which has a majority in parliament along with its nationalist ally, will seek approval for the ratification of Sweden’s membership in the Alliance after almost two years of blocking the process.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party, which has a majority in parliament with its nationalist ally, will seek parliamentary approval to ratify Sweden’s long-awaited NATO membership, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. Turkey’s approval would leave Hungary as the last remaining opponent of the bloc’s expansion.
Sweden’s entry will strengthen NATO, strengthening its presence in the north and improving its ability to defend its eastern flank following Finland’s entry last April. Two northern European countries that had previously shunned military alliances applied to join shortly after Russia began waging open war against Ukraine at the beginning of 2022,” the material says.
Turkey’s parliamentary committee backed Sweden’s membership bid last month.
Sweden’s path to NATO
In May 2022, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership. Already in April 2023, Finland officially joined the Alliance, while Sweden’s membership was still in doubt. Türkiye blocked the country’s path to a military alliance.
In November 2023, Erdogan submitted the protocol on Sweden’s accession to NATO to parliament. On December 26, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament voted on Tuesday to ratify the Protocol on Sweden’s accession to NATO. For it to be ratified, the decision must be supported by a majority of parliamentarians.
