The Turkish parliament's ratification leaves Hungary as the only holdout
23 January 2024 - 22:53
byHuseyin Hayatsever
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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a press conference during a Nato summit in Madrid, Spain, June 30 2022. Picture: YVES HERMAN/REUTERS
Ankara — Turkey’s parliament approved Sweden’s Nato membership bid on Tuesday following more than four hours of debate, clearing a last major hurdle to expanding the Western military alliance after 20 months of delays.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, its nationalist MHP allies and the main opposition CHP voted in favour of the bid in the general assembly, while opposition nationalist, Islamist and leftist parties voted against it.
Sweden applied for membership after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed the news, saying on social media platform X: “Positive that the Grand General Assembly of Turkiye has voted in favour of Sweden’s Nato accession.”
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg was also pleased. “I welcome the vote ... and also count on Hungary to complete its national ratification as soon as possible,” he said.
Erdogan will sign the bill into law, possibly in coming days, thus ending a lengthy process that has both frustrated some of Ankara’s Western allies and enabled it to extract concessions.
Hungary remains the only Nato member yet to ratify Stockholm’s accession. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Tuesday he had invited Kristersson to visit and negotiate joining the Nato.
Finland, which shares a 1,340km border with Russia, joined Nato in April 2023.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Turkey approves Sweden’s Nato membership bid
The Turkish parliament's ratification leaves Hungary as the only holdout
Ankara — Turkey’s parliament approved Sweden’s Nato membership bid on Tuesday following more than four hours of debate, clearing a last major hurdle to expanding the Western military alliance after 20 months of delays.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, its nationalist MHP allies and the main opposition CHP voted in favour of the bid in the general assembly, while opposition nationalist, Islamist and leftist parties voted against it.
Sweden applied for membership after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed the news, saying on social media platform X: “Positive that the Grand General Assembly of Turkiye has voted in favour of Sweden’s Nato accession.”
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg was also pleased. “I welcome the vote ... and also count on Hungary to complete its national ratification as soon as possible,” he said.
Erdogan will sign the bill into law, possibly in coming days, thus ending a lengthy process that has both frustrated some of Ankara’s Western allies and enabled it to extract concessions.
Hungary remains the only Nato member yet to ratify Stockholm’s accession. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Tuesday he had invited Kristersson to visit and negotiate joining the Nato.
Finland, which shares a 1,340km border with Russia, joined Nato in April 2023.
Reuters
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