The Commission on Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Parliament today approved a protocol on the membership of Sweden in the North Atlantic Alliance. This is reported by Reuters.
It is noted that the approval is a key step towards NATO expansion after 19 months of delays, during which Ankara demanded from Stockholm concessions in the field of security.
The next step is a vote in parliament’s General Assembly, where Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party has a majority. It is expected to take place within the next few weeks, after which the Turkish president will sign the protocol.
As EADaily reported, the US State Department is not against the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye, but reminds Ankara that the US Congress is linking the issue to Sweden’s accession to NATO. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on 18 December.
“For our part, we support the sale of F-16s to Turkiye… However, there are those in Congress who argue that the sale will only be possible after Turkiye approves Sweden’s NATO membership. And we urge Turkey to do so as soon as possible,” the diplomat said.
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