RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkey’s president, said that Sweden’s Nato membership bid would not be ratified by Turkey’s parliament before October.
Speaking at the Nato summit in Vilnius in Lithuania, Erdogan said that the process would have to wait until after MPs return from a summer recess.
He said: “The parliament is not in session for the upcoming two months … but our target is to finalise this matter as swiftly as possible.”
On Monday, Turkey withdrew its objections to Sweden joining the alliance, a step toward the unity that Western leaders have been eager to demonstrate in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The decision by Erdogan was a significant move toward Sweden’s membership and came after days of intensive meetings.
Finland has already become the 31st member of the alliance, and Sweden is on deck to become the 32nd.
Both Nordic countries were historically non-aligned until the war increased fears of Russian aggression.
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