Turkey tells NATO that Sweden won't join by next week's meeting - Reuters

Turkey has told NATO that ratification of Sweden's membership application will not be completed in time to allow for the country's accession ceremony at a meeting of alliance foreign ministers next week, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing two sources, UNN reported.

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Last week, the Turkish parliament's foreign affairs committee postponed a vote on Sweden's NATO membership application to hold further talks on the issue.

The commission is likely to resume discussions on the issue on Tuesday or Wednesday, one source said. On November 28-29, NATO foreign ministers will gather in Brussels for a meeting that some in the Alliance hoped would herald Sweden's accession.

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Both Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last May after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

President Tayyip Erdogan objected to both requests at the time because of what he said was the Scandinavian countries' protection of what Turkey considers terrorists, as well as their defense trade embargo. In April, Turkey supported Finland's request, but kept Sweden waiting.

Turkey demanded that Sweden take additional steps against local members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

In response, Stockholm introduced a draft anti-terrorism bill that makes membership in the organization illegal and also lifts restrictions on arms exports to Turkey. The party claims to have fulfilled its part of the agreement signed last year.

To be ratified, the bill must be approved by the Turkish Foreign Affairs Commission before it can be put to a vote in parliament, which could take place in a few days or weeks. Erdogan will then sign the law, completing a process whose length has frustrated Ankara's allies and tested its ties with the West.

Although NATO member Hungary has also not ratified Sweden's membership, Turkey is seen as the main obstacle to Sweden's accession.