Here's what to know about Turkey's decision to move forward with Sweden's bid to join NATO
ABC News
Sweden edged closer toward joining NATO after the Turkish Parliament’s foreign affairs committee greenlighted a protocol for the Nordic country’s membership in the military alliance
ANKARA, Turkey -- Sweden edged closer toward joining NATO on Tuesday after the Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee greenlighted a protocol for the Nordic country’s membership in the military alliance.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dropped his objection to Sweden’s membership during a NATO summit in July, but it took him several months to send the bill to parliament for ratification and weeks for the parliamentary committee to give its consent.
The long-delayed protocol now needs to be approved by the full general assembly and it remains to be seen how quickly the issue will be taken up by the floor.
Sweden and Finland abandoned their decades-long neutrality and sought membership in NATO amid heightened security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland became NATO’s 31st member earlier this year, after Turkey’s parliament ratified its bid.
Hungary, the only other NATO holdout on Sweden, has not announced when the country’s ratification may occur.
