The Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs commission after around four hours of debate approved Sweden’s NATO membership bid on Tuesday, the 26th of December, for a vote in the general assembly, a major step for Sweden in the NATO enlargement process after months of delays and security-related negotiations between Turkey and Sweden, reports Reuters.
The vote in the general assembly, to allow Sweden to formally become a full member of NATO is expected to take place within weeks, will pass and Tayyip Erdogan is likely to sign the legislation into law, ending a process that has soured Ankara’s relations with its allies and tested its relationship with the West.
The head of the Commission, Fuat Oktay, warned that the decision would not be taken as quickly in the general assembly. He said that the speaker would announce the date it would be decided in Parliament.
Erdogan’s AK Party, its nationalist allies the MHP and the main opposition CHP voted in favour of ratification,
while the small Islamist Felicity Party and the right-wing nationalist Iyi Party voted against ratification, reports Reuters.
CHP lawmaker and commission member Oguz Kaan Salici told Reuters that all parties were expected to adopt a similar position at the general assembly.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom welcomed the decision and expressed his hopes to join NATO.
Although Hungary has not yet ratified Sweden’s accession either, Turkey is seen as the main obstacle to Sweden’s NATO membership. Sweden’s accession to NATO is seen as essential to strengthen defence in the Baltic Sea region, Reuters writes.
BNN already reported that Turkey opposed Sweden’s NATO membership because it was seen as protecting those Turkey considers terrorists and had imposed restrictions on arms sales.
Also read: Turkey postpones vote on Sweden’s NATO bid
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