SEAToday.com, Ankara - The Turkish legislators had given its long-awaited endorsement of Sweden’s membership in NATO on Tuesday (1/23), bringing the country one step close to joining the military alliance.

The vote came after four hours of debate, with 287-55 votes, and four abstentions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming days. With Türkiye’s ratification, Hungary is the only member that has not ratified Sweden’s accession.

On his part, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that he had invited his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson to visit Hungary to negotiate the terms of Sweden’s accession.

Finland and Sweden are two Nordic countries close to or bordering Russia. Both countries applied for NATO membership in response to the Russia and Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Finland officially joined NATO in April 2023.