Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday signed a document on parliament’s ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO, Reuters reported in the official presidential journal, the latest step in Ankara’s approval of Stockholm’s accession to the alliance.

President Recep ErdoganPhoto: Poole Press Office of the President / AP / Profimedia Images

“We welcome Turkey’s approval of the ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO. Thus, a key milestone on Sweden’s path to NATO membership has been reached,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on the X social network.

Parliament ratified Sweden’s bid to join NATO on Tuesday, removing a major obstacle to expanding the Western military alliance after a 20-month delay. Hungary remains the only ally that has not yet ratified the Scandinavian country’s accession to the alliance.

This happened after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a request to the Turkish legislature for Sweden to join NATO last October.

Recall that when Sweden and Finland asked to join NATO in 2022, Turkey surprised some members of the alliance by raising objections on the grounds that the two countries would protect groups that Ankara considers terrorists. Turkey approved Finland’s entry last March, but left Sweden waiting along with Hungary.

Ankara called on Stockholm to strengthen its position against local members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which the European Union and the United States also consider a terrorist group. In response, Sweden introduced a new anti-terror bill.

Pressure is mounting on Hungary from the US and the EU to hold the final vote needed to allow Sweden to join NATO, but Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s entourage appears to be in no rush.

The speaker of Hungary’s parliament said on Thursday that there was no urgent need to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership, as Hungary remained the only alliance country not to do so, although Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Wednesday that he would urge lawmakers in Budapest to ratify Sweden’s entry as soon as possible. a possible possibility given that the Budapest parliament is not currently in session.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Thursday he was ready to meet his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán in Budapest in response to his invitation to discuss Sweden’s NATO membership, although he initially responded coldly to the invitation, explaining that his country had no ” no reason” to negotiate with Hungary now.