Türkiye’s parliament may start debate on Sweden NATO bid next week

Türkiye’s parliament may schedule a debate next week in the foreign relations committee over Sweden’s bid to join the NATO military alliance after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this week asked lawmakers to start proceedings.

Still, a ratification of the Nordic country’s membership depends on Stockholm’s commitment to cooperate against terrorism, Fuat Oktay, the head of the committee, said on October 25, according to Bloomberg.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has submitted a bill on Sweden’s NATO membership bid to parliament on October 23, after months of back-and-forth with Western countries over the issue.

Erdogan told his NATO allies at a summit in July that he would send the legislation to the Turkish parliament when it reconvened on October 1, having previously raised objections over a range of security concerns.

“The Protocol on Sweden’s NATO Accession was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 23, 2023, and referred to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,” the presidency said on social media platform X on Monday.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed the development.

“Now it remains for the parliament to deal with the question,” Kristersson said on social media platform X. “We look forward to being a NATO member.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he looked forward to a “speedy vote” in the Turkish parliament.