Updated 17.21 | Published 5:00 p.m
One step closer to NATO membership.
After four hours, the Turkish Foreign Affairs Committee approved Sweden’s NATO application.
But it is still unclear when the application will be voted on in the Turkish parliament.
The Turkish Foreign Affairs Committee has voted yes to Sweden’s NATO application, reports Reuters.
The application must now be forwarded to parliament. No date has been set for when the application will be taken up, according to AP.
The decision was taken after several hours of meeting in the Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
Two steps left
“We welcome that the foreign affairs committee in Turkey approved Sweden’s NATO application. The next step is for parliament to vote on the matter. We look forward to becoming a member of NATO”, writes Foreign Minister Tobias Billström X.
The committee’s green light means that there are two steps left before Turkey’s full approval is complete. A ratification in parliament is needed and then a thumbs up from Erdogan.
Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO countries that have not approved Sweden’s application.