Erdogan: Turkey will not ratify Sweden's NATO membership before October

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday that Turkey will not be able to approve Sweden's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) before October at the earliest, as the parliament will not convene before that time.

Erdogan explained, "We have a two-month parliamentary recess," adding that "there are many legislative proposals (to discuss)" once the lawmakers return in October.

He further stated, "There are many international agreements and many legislative proposals that need to be discussed. We will consider them according to their importance. But our goal is to conclude this process as soon as possible."

He continued, "When parliament resumes its sessions, I believe its president will agree to prioritize this issue."

Some Western leaders had hoped that Turkey would be able to complete the approval process in the coming weeks.

On Monday, the Turkish president agreed to allow Sweden to join the military alliance led by the United States, following more than a year of obstacles to its candidacy.



AFP