Turkey Approves Swedish NATO Membership

The Turkish parliament voted to approve Sweden's NATO membership bid yesterday, bringing the country one step closer to joining the military alliance after months of delays, writes CNN.

Of the 346 members of parliament who voted, 287 were in favor of Sweden's accession, 55 voted to reject it, and four others abstained from voting.

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier that year. Finland joined NATO in April 2023, doubling the alliance's border with Russia, but Sweden has faced numerous delays in its path to accession.

Turkish President Erdogan initially objected to Sweden's membership bid, accusing Swedish officials of being too lenient on militant groups, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and because of numerous Qu'ran burning demonstrations in the country. Since applying, Sweden has tightened its anti-terror legislation and agreed to work more closely with Turkey on security concerns.

Hungary is now the only member state that has not yet ratified Sweden's accession.