Turkish Parliament mulls Sweden's NATO membership
Baku, January 23, AZERTAC
The General Assembly of Parliament is expected to debate Sweden's long-delayed NATO membership bid on Tuesday, according to Daily Sabah.
A vote could take place as early as Tuesday, private network CNN Turk said while Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted a source as saying it might be held on Thursday.
The exact timing of the vote remains unclear, with Sweden at the end of a list of 42 agenda items, according to the parliament website.
Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs approved the protocol on Sweden's NATO accession bid in December, bringing an end to a 19-month standoff that strained ties between Ankara and its Western allies.
The protocol must now be voted by the full 600-seat General Assembly, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling People’s Alliance holds the majority. If passed by Parliament, the president will then need to sign it into law.
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), partner to Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party), announced Tuesday it would back the legislation at the parliamentary voting.
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