Turkish parliament approves Sweden's NATO bid, clearing hurdle for alliance's expansion

The Turkish Parliament on Tuesday approved Sweden's application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, advancing Stockholm's bid nearly two years after it first applied.

Sweden and Finland initially applied to join NATO in 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and, though Finland managed to secure entry, Sweden's application lagged due to opposition from Turkey and Hungary.

The parliament approved Sweden's membership bid with the support of the AK Party to which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan belongs, Reuters reported. The measure drew opposition from nationalist, left-wing, and Islamic factions.

Erdogan must next sign the measure, after which Hungary will stand out as the sole nation yet to endorse Sweden's entry. Hungarian President Viktor Orbán has been a critic of the western response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and generally maintains closer relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin than other European heads of state.

The U.S. Senate approved the entry of both Finland and Sweden last year, with only Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley opposing the move.

"Expanding American security commitments in Europe now would only make that problem worse—and America, less safe," he said at the time.