Turkish parliament approves Sweden's NATO membership application – Bloomberg
The Turkish Parliament has approved Sweden's entry into NATO following months of discussions. According to Bloomberg, the parliamentary plenary session in Ankara voted in favor of Sweden's application on January 23rd.
Bloomberg noted that after the vote, the document was sent back to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for final signing before being forwarded to the U.S. State Department in Washington for safekeeping.
Unanimous approval from all NATO member countries is required for any state's entry into the Alliance. So far, only Hungary has not ratified Sweden's application.
The publication also mentioned that a sign of potential progress in Sweden's membership issue is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's post on X (formerly Twitter), inviting his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson to Budapest for discussions regarding the NATO membership application.
Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billström told Bloomberg journalists that there is "no reason for negotiations" with the Hungarian government, although "the main thing is to continue a good and constructive dialogue with Budapest." In a letter dated January 23rd, which Bloomberg had access to, Orban invited Kristersson to Hungary "to exchange views on all matters of mutual interest." It's unknown whether he will accept this offer, the publication concluded.
On December 18th, the Turkish President stated that Turkey's ratification of Sweden's entry into NATO depends on the U.S. Congress's approval of Ankara's request to purchase F-16 fighters, urging both legislative bodies to act "simultaneously."
Ankara requested F-16 fighters from the U.S. in October 2021. The $6 billion deal included the sale of 40 aircraft and upgrade kits for 79 combat aircraft already in the Turkish Air Force's arsenal. However, the U.S. Congress conditioned the possibility of such a deal on several requirements, including Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO application.
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