Turkey’s president submits protocol for Sweden’s admission into NATO to parliament for ratification
Associated PressANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has submitted a protocol for Sweden’s admission into NATO to Turkey’s parliament for ratification, his office said Monday, bringing the Nordic country a step closer to membership in the military alliance. A brief statement from the presidential communications directorate said Erdogan had signed the protocol on Sweden’s NATO accession, which was then submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who had urged Turkey earlier this month to quickly ratif y Sweden’s membership, also hailed the moves Monday. “As I told President Erdogan when we spoke on the weekend, this will make the whole Alliance stronger and more secure.” Erdogan had dropped his opposition to Sweden’s membership at a NATO summit in Lithuania’s capital in July, but still delayed sending the protocol to parliament for ratification.