Turkish president approves ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has approved the ratification of Sweden’s membership in NATO, following the Turkish parliament’s recent passage of the bill supporting Sweden’s bid to join the alliance. The parliament vote saw 287 in favor, 55 against, and four abstentions. Erdogan’s approval comes two days after the parliamentary decision. With Turkey’s ratification, Hungary remains the only NATO member that hasn’t approved Sweden’s NATO membership. Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in response to Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, requiring unanimous approval from all NATO members. Turkey, while previously approving Finland’s bid, had been slow-walking Sweden’s accession, citing security concerns. Erdogan’s move comes after signing Sweden’s NATO accession protocol in October and submitting it to parliament. The U.S. had pressured Turkey to approve Sweden’s NATO membership, while Turkey used the issue to push for the sale of F-16 fighter jets from the United States.

Source – CGTN