Turkish Parliament Finally Approves Sweden's NATO Accession
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament passed a resolution on Sweden's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on 26th, which is tantamount to allowing Sweden to join NATO.
Sweden has applied for NATO membership since February 2022 as a result of the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War, but Turkey has been reluctant to approve Sweden's application because it is dissatisfied with Sweden's suspected assistance to the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) on the Turkish border, and its hosting of PKK members in the country.
Finally today, after 1.5 years, Turkey is no longer blocked, and the case will now go to the full parliament for a vote, where President Erdan's ruling coalition has a majority of seats, meaning Sweden could become the 32nd member of NATO, right behind Finland.
Erdan said the Turkish parliament would wait for the U.S. Congress to approve a request to buy dozens of F-16 fighter jets and spare parts, and for other NATO allies, such as Canada, to lift the arms embargo on Turkey before approving Sweden's NATO accession.
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