Turkey's parliament opened debate on November 16 on Sweden's NATO aspirations as it neared meeting a major Western defense alliance objective despite its fury at Israel's war with Hamas, designated a terrorist group by Western governments. The discussions in the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee represent an important moment for both European security and Turkey's relations with the West. Sweden and Finland dropped decades of military nonalignment and sought the nuclear protection afforded by the U.S.-led organization in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. Their bids won fast-track approval by all other NATO members except for Turkey and Hungary.
Turkey Opens Delayed Debate On Sweden's NATO Bid
The discussions in the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee represent an important moment for both European security and Turkey's relations with the West. (file photo)