Turkish Committee Approves Sweden’s NATO Membership Bid
The Turkish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has taken a significant step toward Sweden’s NATO membership by approving the bid for a full parliament vote. The ruling Justice and Development Party, the Nationalist Movement Party, and the main opposition Republican People’s Party voted in favor, while the IYI (Good) Party opposed it. The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party abstained from voting. Committee chairman Fuat Oktay acknowledged Sweden’s progress on terrorism financing but noted that expected results in the fight against terrorism are still pending.
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The final parliamentary decision on Sweden’s NATO bid could happen later this week, though it may be postponed to the new year if parliament enters recess. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had earlier signed and submitted Sweden’s NATO accession protocol to the parliament in October. While Finland’s NATO bid was approved by Turkey in March, Sweden’s accession has been delayed as Ankara demands further action on its security concerns.
This development comes amid US pressure on Turkey to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership, while Ankara uses this as leverage to negotiate the sale of F-16 fighter jets from Washington.
