Turkish parliament approves Sweden's NATO membership bid
ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency
Wed / 24 January 2024 / 14:36
Turkey's parliament officially ratified Sweden's NATO bid on Tuesday, bringing an end to over a year of delays that had been a source of concern for Western powers engaged in a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine.
Tehran (ISNA) - The majority of Turkish parliamentarians voted in favor of Sweden's bid to formally become the 32nd member of NATO.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly backed Sweden's bid, after long opposing it.
President Erdogan is anticipated to sign Sweden's ratification document in the coming days, formally concluding Turkey's role in the protracted process.
Hungary remains the last remaining hurdle in the accession process.
Hungary had closely followed Turkey's stance throughout the NATO accession process, expectations were high for Hungary's approval of Sweden's membership without significant resistance.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban extended an invitation to his Swedish counterpart to Budapest for discussions on the matter. However, indications of strains emerged as Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom asserted that there was currently "no reason" to negotiate with Hungary regarding Stockholm's NATO candidacy.
End Item
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
