Erdogan unconvincing on Sweden’s timeline after swift approval of Finland’s NATO bid in parliament

Rejecting Sweden’s NATO membership in parliament could lead to a new crisis between Turkey and the US

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a statement following his one-day visit to Hungary on Sunday, said the passage of Sweden’s NATO accession protocols in parliament is uncertain in terms of timing and is subject to committee and plenary approval.

Erdogan’s statement claiming uncertainty about the duration of Sweden’s approval process in parliament doesn’t necessarily reflect the situation. The quick approval of Finland’s NATO application earlier this year occurred quite swiftly due to Erdogan’s party and its allies having the majority in parliament. The transformation of a proposal into law in as little as 15 days is a rare occurrence in Turkish parliamentary proceedings.

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Erdogan submitted Finland’s application proposal to parliament for approval on March 17, and the Office of the Speaker referred it to the Foreign Affairs Committee three days later. The committee, which convened immediately, approved the proposal three days after that and referred it to the general assembly for a vote. The vote took place on March 31, the last working day of parliament before the May elections, and it was approved with 276 votes in favor, with all members present voting “yes.”

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