Turkish parliament expected to discuss Sweden’s NATO application this week

THE Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee will discuss a draft law to authorise Sweden’s NATO application on Thursday, November 16.

According to Reuters, the Swedish NATO application is third on the official agenda when the Turkish Foreign Affairs Committee meets at 1 pm local time.

Speaking to journalists as he left an EU meeting in Brussels this Tuesday, November 14, Pål Jonson, Sweden’s Defence Minister commented: ‘Of course we welcome this. It is in line with the agreement that we reached with Turkey in July that ratification should be done as soon as possible. We need to become members as soon as possible’, reported TT.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was reported as saying he would like to take a positive message with him to Berlin on Friday when he meets the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to TT sources.

When was the proposal submitted?

The proposal was submitted to parliament by Erdogan around three weeks ago. It must first pass the foreign affairs committee before it can be voted on by the full General Assembly, but Mr Erdogan has said he will then accept the parliament’s decision.

A vote in the main chamber of the Turkish parliament and the signature of the president would still be needed. Should the application be approved then it would leave Hungary as the only other country to not yet ratify it.