BRUSSELS - The Turkish government officially submitted Sweden's NATO accession bid to the country's parliament for ratification on Monday, putting an end to months of speculation over Ankara's intentions. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed the Protocol on Sweden's NATO Accession on October 23, 2023, and referred it to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

The announcement was met with positive reactions from Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who expressed his satisfaction with the move. He stated, "Welcome that President Erdoğan signed Sweden's ratification protocol to NATO and submitted it to the Grand National Assembly of [Turkey]. Parliamentary procedures will now commence. We are looking forward to becoming a member of NATO."

Sweden's bid to join NATO has faced obstacles in Turkey due to its alleged harboring of Turkish opposition group members that the Turkish government considers to be "terrorists." However, a deal brokered by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in July led to Erdoğan agreeing to send Sweden's bid to parliament, signaling progress in the process.

Despite this development, concerns remain regarding the timeline for approval by Turkish lawmakers. A Western diplomat remarked, "It's still unclear how long it will take for the Turkish lawmakers."

Both Sweden and Finland, breaking a long-standing tradition of non-alignment, applied to join NATO in May 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While Finland successfully joined the alliance, Sweden's bid has been held up not only in Turkey but also in Hungary.

It is worth noting that the information in this article has been updated to correct the date of Sweden and Finland's NATO applications.

As the ratification process begins in Turkey, the international community waits eagerly to see if Sweden's bid to join NATO will finally come to fruition. This development could have significant implications for regional security and cooperation.