On October 23, 2023, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a protocol for Sweden's accession to NATO and submitted it to the Turkish Parliament for approval. The country's administration announced this, providing no further details in the statement.
Before the protocol is put to a final vote in Parliament, where Erdoğan's party and its allies hold a majority of seats, Sweden's NATO membership will be deliberated in the Committee on International Relations, according to Bloomberg. When the vote on the ratification of the protocol will take place remains unclear.
Turkey was one of the last opponents to Sweden's entry into the North Atlantic Alliance. Therefore, Erdoğan's decision represents a "significant breakthrough in the military alliance's efforts to bolster its defense following Russia's invasion of Ukraine," as noted by Bloomberg.
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed the protocol signed by Erdoğan, stating, "Now it's up to Parliament to decide on this issue. We look forward to the opportunity to become a NATO member."
Sweden and Finland submitted their applications for NATO membership in May of the previous year. Finland became a member of the alliance in April, while Turkey had blocked Sweden's entry, demanding that Stockholm meet a set of conditions.
Hungary has also not yet ratified the agreement to admit Sweden to NATO.
According to NATO's rules, the entry of new countries into the alliance is only possible with the consent of all its members. Currently, there are 30 member states in the alliance.
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