Overview

• Turkey's parliamentary foreign affairs committee has approved a protocol for Sweden's NATO membership, moving the country closer to joining the alliance.
• Turkey had previously opposed Sweden's membership due to concerns over the Nordic country's stance towards Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara views as security threats.
• Sweden has taken steps to address Turkey's concerns, including tightening its anti-terrorism laws.
• Turkey's EU membership talks, which stalled in 2018 due to concerns over the country's democratic backsliding and human rights record, have also been linked to Sweden's NATO bid.
• Hungary, the only other NATO member yet to approve Sweden's membership, has not announced when it may ratify the bid.