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The General Assembly of the Turkish Parliament will vote this week on whether Sweden will join NATO (NATO) About 20 months after Stockholm submitted its application to join following the Russian attack on Ukraine.
An employee in Parliament told Agence France-Presse, requesting that his name not be published, that “MPs may discuss the issue and vote on it the day after tomorrow, Thursday.”
If Parliament – in which the ruling coalition is led by the President – confirms the truth Recep Tayyip Erdogan With a majority in it – on the request, it will be referred to Erdogan for signature, so that it becomes effective within days, and thus Hungary becomes the only member that has not agreed to Sweden’s accession.
Hungary said it believed NATO membership was “not a priority” for Sweden based on its actions. It pledged not to be the last ally to ratify Sweden’s membership, but its parliament is in recess until mid-February.
Türkiye criticized Western sanctions on Moscow, despite its opposition to the Russian attack on Ukraine. Russia vowed to respond if NATO strengthens the military infrastructure in the two countries bordering its northwestern border, Finland and Sweden.
Trying to resolve differences
In this context, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday invited his Swedish counterpart to visit Budapest to try to resolve the differences that prevent Hungary from ratifying the Scandinavian country’s accession to NATO.
“Today I sent a letter to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson inviting him to Hungary to discuss Sweden’s joining NATO,” Orban wrote on the X platform.
Hungary, the only country besides Turkey that has not yet ratified Sweden’s accession to the Western military alliance, has offered its initial support but has been dragging its feet in voting on ratification for months.
Budapest calls on Stockholm to stop its policy of “discrediting” and its regular comments on the Orban government, which is accused of pursuing an authoritarian policy.
In May 2022, following the Russian attack on Ukraine, Sweden submitted its candidacy for NATO membership, coinciding with Finland, which in April 2023 became the 31st member of the alliance.
