Key Takeaways
- Turkey is delaying the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership bid, citing interconnected processes and no pressure on the time frame.
- The F-16 deal with Ankara is a potential factor in Turkey’s consideration of Sweden’s NATO accession protocol.
- Sweden’s NATO membership bid is still pending ratification by Turkey and Hungary.
Ankara: The date of the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership bid at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey has not been defined yet, and Ankara is not expected to hurry in this process, a source in the Turkish legislative body told Sputnik on Tuesday.
Last week, the Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs commission approved Sweden’s NATO membership bid, after which the document was submitted to the Grand Assembly.
“No, it is not defined,” the source told Sputnik, answering the relevant question.
Ankara does not intend to hurry in this process, they added.
“We have nowhere to rush. There are interconnected processes, and we will monitor them. There is no pressure on us in any time frame, and there cannot be,” the source said.
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said any potential progress made by the United States on the F-16 deal with Ankara would be reflected in the Turkish parliament’s consideration of Sweden’s NATO accession protocol.
Sweden, along with Finland, submitted its NATO application in May 2022, several months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine. Finland became a member of the alliance in April 2023. Sweden’s application is still pending ratification by Turkey and Hungary. The date of the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership bid at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey has not been defined yet, and Ankara is not expected to hurry in this process, a source in the Turkish legislative body told Sputnik on Tuesday.
Last week, the Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs commission approved Sweden’s NATO membership bid, after which the document was submitted to the Grand Assembly.
“No, it is not defined,” the source told Sputnik, answering the relevant question.
Ankara does not intend to hurry in this process, they added.
“We have nowhere to rush. There are interconnected processes, and we will monitor them. There is no pressure on us in any time frame, and there cannot be,” the source said.
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said any potential progress made by the United States on the F-16 deal with Ankara would be reflected in the Turkish parliament’s consideration of Sweden’s NATO accession protocol.
Sweden, along with Finland, submitted its NATO application in May 2022, several months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine. Finland became a member of the alliance in April 2023. Sweden’s application is still pending ratification by Turkey and Hungary.
