The Turkish Parliament has approved Sꦺweden's bid to join NATO in a long-awaited vote, bringing the Nordicܫ nation's journey closer to membership.
As one of NATO's 31 member countries, Turkey holds the authority to veto new nations seeking to join the alliance.
The Turkish Parliament has approved Sꦺweden's bid to join NATO in a long-awaited vote, bringing the Nordicܫ nation's journey closer to membership.
The application was initialওly submitted in 2022 in response to Russia's i🌌nvasion of Ukraine. However, Turkey had previously withheld approval, citing concerns over what it termed as Sweden's support for Kurdish militants.
As one of NATO's 31 member countries, Turkey holds the authority to veto new nations seeking to join the alliance. The measure successfully passed with a vote of 287 in favour, 55 against, an🥀d four abstentions within the 600-member body. Turkish President Erdogan is anticipated to sign the legislation in the coming days.
This decision leaves Hungary as the sole NATO member yet to approve Sweden's accession. NATO's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, welcomed the news from Turkey, as reported by Reuters. But he said, “I also ♓count on Hungary to complete its national ratification as soon as possible.”
“Sweden has fulfille🌱d its commitments. Sweden’💧s membership makes NATO stronger and all of us safer,” he added.
The Turkish parliamentary vote occurred nearly two years after Russia's full-scale 🐼invasion of Ukraine, prompting Sweden and Finland, previously militarily nonaligned for many years, to formally apply for NATO membership.
The application process requires unanimous support from the 🌄alliance's members, now numbering 31, with most swiftly granting their approvals.
However, Turkey and Hungary, both of whose leaders have maintained cordial relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout the Ukrai😼ne war, chose to hold out. Hungarian officials responded with ‘Swedish criticisms of the state of Hungarian democracy’, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey accused Sweden and Finland of neglecting his country's security concernsꦜ by failing to address dissidents whom Turkey considers terrorists.
Recently, Sweden took action by introducing more stringent anti-terrorism lawsജ in June, criminalising finꦜancial or logistical assistance to terrorist groups.
Finlan𝓰d officially became a NATO member in April, effectively doubling the length of the alliance's border෴ with Russia.