Turkish parliament approves Sweden's NATO bid

ANKARA -- Turkish lawmakers on Tuesday approved a long-delayed bill on Sweden's bid to become the 32nd member of NATO.

The Turkish parliament voted the bill after a debate in the Grand National Assembly. With Turkiye's ratification, Hungary will become the only NATO member country that hasn't approved Sweden's application to join the military alliance.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to sign the bill into law within a few days.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO after Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine in 2022. Their accession requires the unanimous approval of all members of NATO.

Turkiye approved Finland's NATO bid in March last year but has slow-walked Sweden's accession, demanding the Nordic country further address Ankara's security concerns.

In October last year, Erdogan signed Sweden's NATO accession protocol and submitted it to the parliament for ratification.