The Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs commission is scheduled to discuss a bill concerning the approval of Sweden’s NATO membership on Thursday, as indicated in the official agenda of the commission.
Three weeks ago, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted the bill to parliament for ratification, a move that received positive responses from both NATO and Stockholm. Initially, Turkey had reservations, citing concerns about Sweden harboring groups deemed as terrorists.
Before the bill can proceed to a vote by the full general assembly, it must first gain approval from the parliament’s foreign affairs commission. Once endorsed, Erdogan would proceed to sign it into law.
NATO foreign ministers are scheduled to convene in Brussels on November 28-29, providing a broader context for the ongoing discussions and developments.
In the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, last year, traditionally neutral Sweden and Finland sought NATO membership for enhanced security. Finland’s NATO membership was confirmed in April, but Sweden’s bid has faced delays due to objections from Turkey and Hungary.
