Turkey officially approved Sweden’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Thursday, making the country one step closer to ending more than two centuries of neutrality.
Hungary is the last NATO member country that must approve the proposal.
The membership bid passed in a 287 to 55 vote—with four abstenations—in Turkey’s Parliament on Tuesday, according to The New York Times, but was not made official until the decision was published in Turkey’s Official Gazette.
The ratification comes a day after President Joe Biden urged Congress to approve Turkey’s request to purchase 40 new F-16 fighter jets—which the Associated Press reported had been linked to the NATO deal by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Countries need unanimous approval from NATO’s 31 existing member countries to join the alliance—leaving Hungary, which has not started the process as of late December, being the last Sweden needs to approve its bid.
“With this, a key milestone has been reached in Sweden’s path towards NATO membership,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Prompted by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Sweden decided to pursue NATO membership—ending more than two centuries of neutrality—alongside Finland, which joined the alliance last April. Erdogan previously objected to both memberships over concerns that Sweden has been too lenient on groups that the country deems terrorists, but ultimately agreed in July. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reportedly said he would urge legislators to approve the accession, according to Reuters, but Laszlo Kover, Hungarian parliamentary speaker, reportedly told reporters he does not “feel any particular urgency” to approve the bid. In December, Orban indicated there was “no great willingness” in the country’s parliament to approve the bid.
Turkey formally ratifies Sweden’s NATO membership, leaving Hungary as only ally yet to endorse it (AP)
How Sweden and Finland went from neutral to Nato (BBC)
Exclusive: Biden urges US Congress to approve F-16 sale to Turkey 'without delay' (Reuters)