The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission has given its approval for Sweden's bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), marking a significant milestone in the enlargement of the military alliance. After months of delays, the decision was made on Tuesday, following Ankara's demands for security-related concessions from Stockholm.

The commission, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), voted in favor of backing Sweden's membership bid, which was submitted last year in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The next step in the process is a vote by the full parliament, where AK Party and its allies hold a majority.

It is anticipated that Sweden's NATO membership will be endorsed by the parliament, after which the measure will be presented to President Erdogan for his approval. This final step will mark the conclusion of a nearly two-year-long process, which has caused frustration among some of Ankara's Western allies.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom expressed his satisfaction with the commission's approval, stating that Sweden welcomes the decision and looks forward to joining NATO. Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, also praised the Turkish parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee for ratifying Sweden's membership bid. Stoltenberg urged Turkey, as well as Hungary, another country that has yet to ratify Sweden's membership, to complete the process swiftly.

All NATO member states, currently numbering 31, are required to approve new memberships. Earlier objections raised by President Erdogan in May last year regarding Sweden and Finland's membership requests included concerns about their alleged support for individuals Turkey accuses of being terrorists and their defense of trade embargoes. Finland's bid was ratified by Turkey in April, while Sweden had to take additional measures to address Turkey's concerns regarding local members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union, and the United States.

To pave the way for Sweden's membership, Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, and Sweden itself took steps to relax their arms-export policies affecting Turkey. Although Hungary remains another obstacle to Sweden's inclusion in NATO, Turkey is perceived as the main roadblock, particularly in bolstering the alliance's defenses in the Baltic Sea region.

President Erdogan also linked Turkey's ratification of Sweden's membership bid to the United States' approval of selling F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. It remains to be seen how this aspect will evolve in the context of Sweden's NATO membership process.

In conclusion, the Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission has given its approval to Sweden's bid to join NATO. This significant step sets the stage for further votes in parliament and, eventually, for President Erdogan's approval, marking the conclusion of a lengthy process. If successful, Sweden's membership would further strengthen the military alliance.