Sweden came a step closer to joining NATO on Thursday as Türkiye published a bill approving the Nordic country's membership in the military alliance, finalizing the ratification.
The accession protocol signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was published in the Official Gazette, marking the final technical step in Ankara's approval of Stockholm into the alliance.
Hungary now remains the only NATO ally not to have ratified the accession of Sweden.
Türkiye's Parliament endorsed Sweden's accession in a vote Tuesday. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said the Nordic country's tougher stance on PKK terrorists was key to winning approval.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed the ratification, saying on X, formerly known as Twitter: "With this, a key milestone has been reached in Sweden's path towards NATO membership."
Kristersson said Thursday he was ready to meet his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban to help pave the way for Budapest's quick approval of the bid.
NATO membership applications require unanimous ratification by all alliance members.
Sweden, along with Finland, abandoned its traditional position of military nonalignment to seek protection under NATO's security umbrella following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Finland joined the alliance last April, becoming NATO's 31st member after Türkiye's Parliament ratified the Nordic country's bid.
But Türkiye held out on approving Sweden's bid for more than a year, accusing the country of being too lenient toward terrorist groups. It sought concessions from Stockholm, including moves to counter terrorists.
Türkiye also had been angered by a series of demonstrations by supporters of the PKK in Sweden as well as Quran-burning protests that roiled Muslim countries.
Senior AK Party legislator and former Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday that Sweden had amended its anti-terrorism laws, curbed the PKK's financial activities, convicted a terrorism suspect and extradited another and lifted restrictions on arms sales to Türkiye.
Erdoğan previously linked the ratification to Türkiye's request to buy fighter jets from the United States.
U.S. President Joe Biden Biden and his administration have repeatedly backed Ankara's desire to purchase 40 new F-16 warplanes and kits to modernize Türkiye's existing fleet.
But the process stalled in the U.S. Congress, where some key members tied the $20 billion (TL 605 billion) deal's approval to Türkiye's backing of Sweden's NATO bid.
U.S. administration officials have said they expect relatively quick action on the F-16 sale after Türkiye's ratification.
Biden sent a letter to leaders of key Capitol Hill committees on Wednesday informing them of his intention to begin the formal notification process for the F-16 sale once Türkiye completes Sweden's NATO accession process.
Biden urged Congress to approve the sale "without delay," a U.S. official said.
Ankara has also urged Canada and other NATO allies to lift arms embargoes on Türkiye.
