Turkey Ratifies Sweden's NATO Membership After 20-Month Delay, Aiding Western Alliance Against Russia

In a significant development, Turkey’s parliament has finally ratified Sweden’s NATO membership bid, a move that could potentially strengthen the Western military alliance against Russia.

What Happened: The Turkish parliament voted 287-55 on Tuesday to approve Sweden’s application for NATO membership, reported Reuters. This decision, after a 20-month delay, is seen as a crucial step in expanding the alliance.

Sweden had initially applied for NATO membership in 2022, citing the need to bolster its security in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. All NATO members are required to approve applications from countries seeking to join the alliance.

Despite initial objections from Turkey over Sweden and Finland’s alleged support of groups it deems terrorists, the Turkish parliament has now approved Sweden’s membership bid. This leaves Hungary as the only member state yet to ratify Sweden’s accession.

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Sweden’s NATO membership bid marks a significant shift from its non-aligned security policy and is expected to enhance NATO defenses in the Baltic Sea region, which faces Russia.

Why It Matters: The approval of Sweden’s NATO membership bid by Turkey is a crucial development that could potentially strengthen the Western alliance against Russia. This comes at a time when geopolitical tensions are high, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its strained relations with Western nations.

Earlier, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had voiced his support for Sweden’s NATO bid, signaling a potential shift in Ankara’s foreign policy. The recent ratification by the Turkish parliament could accelerate Sweden’s NATO membership process, further bolstering the alliance’s collective defense.

Meanwhile, the U.K. has pledged to deploy 20,000 troops for a significant NATO exercise in Europe, including a substantial deployment in Eastern Europe. This exercise, named “Steadfast Defender 24,” is a commemorative event for the 75th year of the Western alliance and is set to be one of NATO’s largest deployments since the end of the Cold War.

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