The final decision will be made at a plenary session of Turkey's Grand National Assembly, with the date yet to be determined.
Fuat Oktay, the head of Turkey's parliament's foreign affairs committee, stated that a swift vote on the matter is not anticipated during the plenary session. However, Reuters highlights that Tuesday's decision by the Foreign Affairs Committee is a crucial advancement in Sweden's NATO membership process.
In late November, Stockholm received assurance from Ankara that the ratification of Sweden's NATO accession would occur "over the coming weeks." Turkey had previously blocked Sweden's accession, citing concerns about Stockholm's efforts in addressing Kurdish militants and other groups deemed threats to Turkey's national security.
Sweden, along with Finland, submitted a historic application to join NATO in May 2022, influenced by Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Finland was accepted into the alliance in April 2023.
Turkey, along with Hungary, has been among the nations yet to approve Sweden's NATO membership. Both countries maintain amicable relations with Russia.
(jh)
Source: PAP, Reuters
