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Sweden has moved closer to finally joining NATO after a major hurdle was removed today (October 23).<\/p>\n
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan has previously been reluctant to approve Sweden\u2019s bid to join NATO.<\/p>\n
But today, he signed a bill for the Nordic country\u2019s admission into NATO and sent it to the Turkish parliament for approval, Erdogan said today.<\/p>\n
Erdogan had been accusing Stockholm of being too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups he considered security threats.<\/p>\n
Turkey also was angered by a series of Quran-burning protests in Sweden.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> All 31 NATO allies must endorse Sweden\u2019s membership. Turkey and Hungary are the only two allies that have yet to ratify it.<\/p>\n The presidential office of Turkey said Erdogan had signed the protocol on Sweden\u2019s accession and submitted it to the Turkish Grand National Assembly.<\/p>\n Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X: “Glad to hear that Turkish President Erdo\u011fan has now handed over the ratification documents to the Turkish Parliament.<\/p>\n “Now it remains for Parliament to deal with the issue. We look forward to becoming a member of NATO.”<\/p>\n Sweden and its neighbour Finland abandoned decades of military nonalignment and sought protection under NATO\u2019s security umbrella after President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022.<\/p>\n Finland joined the military alliance in April after Turkey lifted its objections to its membership, saying Helsinki had taken steps to address Ankara\u2019s security concerns.<\/p>\n Erdogan had dropped his opposition to Sweden\u2019s membership at a NATO summit in Lithuania\u2019s capital in July, but still delayed sending the protocol to parliament for ratification.<\/p>\n Turkey lifted its opposition after U.S. President Joe Biden\u2019s administration signaled it would let Turkey buy 40 new F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits from the United States. Ankara also received assurances from Sweden that it would help revive Turkey\u2019s own quest to join the European Union.<\/p>\n
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