The Turkish parliament foreign affairs committee gave its consent to Sweden’s bid to join NATO on Tuesday, drawing the previously nonaligned Nordic country closer to membership in the Western military alliance.
Sweden’s accession protocol will now undergo the final stage of the legislative process in Turkey, requiring approval in the Turkish parliament’s general assembly. However, as of now, no specific date for this approval has been set.
Turkey, a NATO member, has delayed ratification of Sweden’s membership for more than a year, accusing the country of being too lenient toward groups that Ankara regards as threats to its security, including Kurdish militants and members of a network that Ankara blames for a failed coup in 2016.
The Turkish committee had begun discussing Sweden’s membership in NATO last month. But the meeting was adjourned after legislators from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party submitted a motion for a postponement on grounds that some issues needed more clarification and that negotiations with Sweden hadn’t “matured” enough. The Turkish parliament foreign
On Tuesday, the committee resumed its deliberations, and a large majority of legislators in the committee voted in favor of Sweden’s application to join.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Burak Akcapar briefed the committee members before the vote, highlighting the steps taken by Sweden to meet Turkish demands. These measures included the lifting of restrictions on defense industry sales and amendments to anti-terrorism laws, which, according to Akcapar, surpassed expectations from five or six years ago.
He emphasized that it is unrealistic to expect immediate fulfillment of all demands, characterizing the process as ongoing, requiring long-term and consistent effort. Akcapar stated that Turkey would continue to monitor Sweden’s progress in this regard.
Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister Tobias Billström expressed his approval of the committee’s decision in a message posted on social media, stating, “The next step is for parliament to vote on the matter. We look forward to becoming a member of NATO.”