The deliberations of the commission, controlled by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s AK party, lasted about four hours, at the end of which the vote took place.
The next step will be a vote in the general assembly of parliament, where Erdoğan’s party also has a majority. Erdogan would then sign it into law, completing the process.
The head of the commission, Fuat Oktay, said that although the decision was submitted to the general assembly, it may not pass through the general assembly as quickly. He added that the president of parliament decides the moment of the vote.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said in a statement after the approval that Sweden welcomes the initiative and looks forward to joining NATO.
Last year, Erdoğan opposed Sweden and Finland’s bid to join NATO. Turkey ratified Finland’s request in April, but Sweden has been waiting for action against local members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which the European Union and the United States list as a terrorist group.
In response, Sweden passed a new anti-terrorism law that makes belonging to a terrorist group illegal.
In addition to Turkey, Sweden’s membership in NATO has not been ratified by Hungary.
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2023-12-26 19:11:58
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