Turkish parliament vote in favor of Sweden's NATO bid
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Hungary remains the last hurdle stopping Swden from becoming the 32nd NATO memberstate.
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Turkish lawmakers follow the debate of Sweden's bid to join NATO at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024 (AP)
Turkey's parliament officially ratified Sweden's NATO bid on Tuesday, bringing an end to over a year of delays that had been a source of concern for Western powers engaged in a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine.
The majority of Turkish parliamentarians voted in favor of Sweden's bid to formally become the 32nd member of NATO.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly backed Sweden's bid, after long opposing it.
President Erdogan is anticipated to sign Sweden's ratification document in the coming days, formally concluding Turkey's role in the protracted process.
Hungary remains the last remaining hurdle in the accession process.
Hungary had closely followed Turkey's stance throughout the NATO accession process, expectations were high for Hungary's approval of Sweden's membership without significant resistance.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban extended an invitation to his Swedish counterpart to Budapest for discussions on the matter. However, indications of strains emerged as Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom asserted that there was currently "no reason" to negotiate with Hungary regarding Stockholm's NATO candidacy.
Read more: US expecting Turkey to pass Sweden NATO bid before F-16 purchase
Germany warns of Russian 'attack' on NATO within ‘5-8 years’
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could pull an 'attack' on a NATO country “within 5-8 years.”
"We hear threats from the Kremlin almost every day ... so we have to take into account that Vladimir Putin might even attack a NATO country one day," Pistorius said in an interview with the Berlin-based Der Tagesspiegel newspaper.
The minister added that even though a "Russian attack is not likely for now... our experts expect a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible."
Pistorius's comments align with warnings from Sweden's Minister for Civil Defense, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, who last week cautioned that "war could come to Sweden."
In an interview with Der Tagesspiegel, Pistorius expressed understanding of the Swedish warnings, noting that they were "understandable from a Scandinavian perspective." He further emphasized that Sweden confronted "an even more serious situation" due to its geographical proximity to Russia.
Read more: Zelensky warns against defeat in war as weapon stockpiles are depleted
