Erdogan rules out the possibility of Sweden joining NATO by fall

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he expects to submit a protocol on the ratification of Sweden's membership in NATO after the opening of the parliament, which will not happen until the fall.

Erdogan said this at a press conference after the NATO Summit in Vilnius on Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Commenting on Sweden's accession to the Alliance, the Turkish leader emphasized that his country "has always supported the open door policy" and has never banned any country from joining it.

"The authority that will approve the protocol on Sweden's accession to NATO is the parliament, the representative of the people's will. Like us, our representatives will closely monitor the process," he added.

Later, Erdogan clarified that he expects Sweden's accession to be approved when the parliament opens, which will not happen until the fall, as it is currently in summer recess.

In order to approve Sweden's accession, the protocol on its accession to NATO must be submitted to the Speaker of the National Assembly with President Erdogan's signature. The ratification bill will then be submitted to the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, approved by the committee, and put on the parliament's agenda. Approval and publication in the official gazette will formally complete the process.

Author - Olena Madiak, 12/07/2023