Turkey's parliament greenlights Sweden's NATO membership

The parliament late yesterday approved a legislative proposal concerning Sweden's accession to NATO. Among the MPs who attended the session, 287 voted in favor of the bill, 55 voted against and 4 abstained. 

The ruling AKP, their allies MHP, the main opposition CHP, and DEVA parties supported Sweden's NATO entry, while dissenting voices came from the İYİ Party, the pro-Kurdish DEM Party.  

The backdrop of this development traces back to Sweden and Finland's application for NATO membership in 2021, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Turkey had initially rejected their applications, alleging their support for "terrorist organizations." 

At the heart of Turkey's claims, Sweden introduced a new "counter-terrorism law" last year, incorporating additional measures after consultations with Turkey, Sweden, and Finland. (VK)