BRUSSELS, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenbrg Monday welcomed President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan's signature of the accession protocol for Sweden and its referral to the Grand National Assembly.

"I look forward to a speedy vote to ratify, and to welcoming Sweden as a full NATO Ally very soon. As I told President Erdogan when we spoke on the weekend, this will make the whole Alliance stronger and more secure," said Stoltenberg in a statement.

According to media reports however, there is no set timeframe for ratification.

The bill will be put on the agenda of Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission, which will have to pass it before it can be sent to the General Assembly for ratification.

After Russia's military action in Ukraine last year, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO, but initially, Turkiye vetoed their membership.

Ankara changed its stance on Finland, paving the way for it to join NATO in April.

But, Erdogan continued to block Sweden's membership, accusing it of not doing enough to crack down on Kurdish terrorist groups based in Sweden. (end) nk.mt

Source: Kuwait News Agency