Sweden Awaits Turkey's Approval for NATO Membership

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström confirmed today, Thursday, that his country is ready to join NATO and is waiting for Turkey to begin the ratification process for its request. Billström stated at a press conference, following meetings of foreign ministers from Nordic and Baltic countries: "We are completely ready and are waiting for the ratification process to start in Ankara." Stockholm hopes that Ankara will approve membership when the Turkish parliament reconvenes in October, which was agreed upon with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a NATO summit in July. Sweden applied for membership in the defense alliance last year, but Turkey and Hungary have yet to approve the request.