2023-10-23 14:34:38
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has submitted Sweden’s application to join NATO to parliament for ratification. Erdogan signed the accession protocol and forwarded it to the Grand National Assembly, the presidential office announced on Monday. Approval is considered likely – Erdogan’s Islamic-conservative AKP alliance has a majority in parliament. Turkey had blocked Sweden’s accession to NATO for months.
Ankara had repeatedly justified its blockade with what it saw as Sweden’s inadequate commitment against “terrorist organizations”. Ankara is primarily concerned with the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK and the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG.
In view of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Sweden applied for NATO membership together with Finland in May 2022. Finland was welcomed into the alliance as the 31st member in early April.
1698072092
#Erdogan #presents #Swedens #NATO #membership #application #parliament