The Turkish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee will debate a bill approving Sweden’s NATO membership on Thursday, Reuters reported, citing the committee’s official agenda.
President Tayyip Erdogan submitted the bill to parliament for ratification three weeks ago, in a move welcomed by NATO and Stockholm. Turkey had initially raised objections due to what it said was Sweden’s harboring of groups it deems terrorists.
The bill must be approved by parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee before a vote by the general assembly. Erdoğan would then sign it into law.
While saying Ankara expected more from Sweden in combating Kurdish militants, Erdoğan said this month that he would try to facilitate the ratification.
NATO foreign ministers will meet in Brussels Nov. 28-29.
Long-neutral Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year to bolster their security after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland’s membership was sealed in April, but Sweden’s bid has been held up by Turkey and Hungary.