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Watch: Turkish parliament votes on Sweden’s Nato membership bid after long delay

Holly Patrick
Tuesday 23 January 2024 19:40 GMT
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Watch as Turkey’s parliament voted on Sweden’s Nato accession on Tuesday, 23 January.

The Scandinavian nation’s bid was ratified after 20 months of delay.

Sweden, alongside Finland, asked to join the intergovernmental military alliance of 31 member states in 2022.

Its accession was delayed - Turkey raised objections over what it said was the two countries’ protection of groups that Ankara deems terrorists.

Turkey endorsed Finland’s membership in April last year but, together with Hungary, has delayed Sweden’s membership.

Ankara asked Stockholm to toughen its stance on local members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which the EU and US also describe as a terrorist group.

Sweden introduced a new anti-terrorism bill that makes being a member of a terrorist organisation illegal.

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