NATO urges Turkey to expedite Sweden's membership approval
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Brussels: Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's Secretary General, has emphasised the need for Turkey to promptly endorse Sweden's delayed bid for membership in the alliance.
Stressing the fulfilment of Sweden's commitments, Stoltenberg urged Turkey to expedite the finalisation of the accession process.
While 29 of NATO's allies have been eager to formally welcome Sweden into the alliance at a meeting of foreign ministers scheduled in Brussels, the progression of Sweden's membership remains stunted due to the lack of ratification by Turkey and Hungary.
Despite Sweden's application for membership being over 18 months old, Turkey and Hungary are yet to ratify it, causing a delay in the formal inclusion process.
The Turkish parliament recently initiated discussions regarding Sweden's bid after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan commenced the process following an agreement at a NATO summit in July. However, the ratification process remains at the committee level within the Turkish parliament, hindering Sweden's accession to NATO.
Expressing his desire for a swifter ratification process, Stoltenberg conveyed his anticipation for Turkey to finalise the approval.
He iterated the urgency of expediting the process and emphasised his consistent communication regarding this matter, reported AFP. Stoltenberg stressed the need for Turkey to conclude the ratification, underscoring the significance of this issue within NATO.
