01/22/2024 10:59 pm (current 01/22/2024 10:59 pm)
A vote in the Turkish parliament on Sweden's membership of NATO is reportedly imminent. Broadcaster CNN Türk reported on Monday that the vote was scheduled for Tuesday. Broadcaster NTV reported that a vote would take place this week. If Turkey ratifies Sweden's admission to the defense alliance, Hungary will remain the only NATO member that has yet to agree to join.
In response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, traditionally non-aligned Sweden applied to join NATO together with its neighboring country Finland in May 2022. Finland joined the military alliance in April 2023, while Sweden is still awaiting approval from NATO members Turkey and Hungary.
Turkey justified its long hesitation, among other things, with the Swedish authorities' alleged negligent treatment of alleged members of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Sweden then promised, among other things, tougher action against the PKK. It was only last July that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan finally agreed to give up his veto. The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs committee approved the Swedish request in December.
However, Erdogan has now made new demands and made the ratification of Sweden's membership of NATO dependent on US approval of the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.