Turkey expects to ratify Sweden's NATO accession 'within weeks'

29/11/2023 18:11

                Turkey has told Sweden it expects to ratify its long-delayed accession to the NATO military alliance within weeks, Sweden's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
        
        Sweden and Finland asked to join NATO last year after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is a NATO member, raised objections over what he said was the two countries' protection of groups that Ankara deems terrorists.
        
        Turkey endorsed Finland's membership bid in April, but has kept Sweden waiting.
        
        "I had a bilateral with my colleague, the (Turkish) foreign minister ... where he told me that he expected the ratification to take place within weeks," Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told reporters before the second day of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
        
        There was no immediate confirmation or comment by Turkey.