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☆ Turkey may soon put its controversial Russian S-400 air defenses in operation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Turkey may deploy its Russian S-400 Triumf air defenses on the Iraqi border. Turkiye newspaper reported earlier this month that Turkey's S-400s may be deployed on the border, implying it will defend against drones allegedly acquired by the PKK. Since then, there has been no indication that Turkey's S-400s have been put into operation. "However, Turkey may use the potential threat of Iran-linked militia groups or PKK as a pretext to deploy S-400s." "Such a goal was unattainable and unrealistic given the extent of Turkey's integration into the NATO defense system," Ozeren said.

Persons: —, Hulusi Akar, Ali Bakir, Bakir, Suleyman Ozeren, Ozeren, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's, State Victoria Nuland Organizations: Service, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, PKK, Defense, Ibn Khaldon, Security Initiative, Business, Northern, American University, Orion Policy Institute, NATO, State Locations: Turkey, Russian, Israel, Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan, Ankara, Washington, Turkish, Qatar, Northern Iraq, Turkey's, Iraq, Moscow, Russia, NATO

☆ 'Drone hunting drones' are already impacting Middle East conflicts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Iran's 538 loitering missile is designed to intercept low-flying drones. The 358 missiles confiscated by the US Navy were powered by small gas turbine engines made by a Dutch company. "As air defense systems increase in power and effectiveness, it will mark a new challenge to drone systems that have long had command of the air," Rogers said. A US Central Command handout shows one of the Iranian-made 538 loitering missile seized by the USS Forrest Sherman in November 2019. CENTCOM'Drone hunting drones'A report in March speculates that Turkey's arch-foe, the Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK group, may have acquired Iranian Meraj loitering missiles.

Persons: —, James Patton Rogers, Rogers, Ryan Bohl, RANE, Bohl, USS Forrest Sherman Organizations: Service, US Navy, Cornell Brooks Tech, Institute, Cornell University, American Warfare, Saudi, US, Pentagon, East, Command, USS, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, Turkish Locations: Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Iran's, Dutch, Turkey, North Africa, Kurdistan, Iraq, Tehran

☆ Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban lauds new phase with Sweden ahead of vote on its NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Jennifer Hauser | Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his country had opened a new phase with Sweden during a joint press conference with Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson on Friday as Budapest prepares to ratify Stockholm’s long-delayed NATO bid. Orban, who said last week that the Hungarian Parliament would vote on ratification on Monday, met with Kristersson on Friday and announced at the press conference that Hungary had bought four fighter jets from Sweden. “Being members together in NATO we [will be] able to reconstruct the full trust towards each other,” Orban added later. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in 2022 and Finland joined NATO in April 2023 – doubling the alliance’s border with Russia. But Sweden’s bid was mired in challenges.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Ulf Kristersson, Orban, Kristersson, “, ” Orban, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Katalin Organizations: CNN, Swedish, Budapest, NATO, Russia, Gripen, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, European Union Locations: Hungarian, Sweden, Hungary, Ukraine, Finland, Russia, Turkey

☆ Close US partners in the Middle East demand air defenses after Iranian drone attacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US Congress has already asked DoD to develop a plan to equip the Peshmerga with air defenses. Iraqi Kurdistan expects the US to appreciate such stances and provide air defenses, given the high stakes for the autonomous region. Ceng Sagnic, chief of analysis of the geopolitical consultancy firm TAM-C Solutions, said “several considerations” are involved in supplying the Peshmerga air defenses. Turkey may not object to an American air defense provision to Iraqi Kurdistan under certain conditions. Advertisement“Using recent clashes as a reason to request additional US air defenses is likely to be viewed negatively in Ankara,” Ali Bakir, a Turkey expert and non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East program, told BI.

Persons: —, America’s, Masrour Barzani, ” Mohammed Salih, ” Salih, Ceng Sagnic, ” Sagnic, Mazlum Kobane, ” Ali Bakir Organizations: DoD, Service, Kurdistan’s, NBC News, Foreign Policy Research Institute, TAM, C, ISIS, ”, Kurdistan Democratic Party, Patriotic Union of, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, Reuters, US Locations: Kurdish, Syria, Turkey, Iraq’s Iran, United States, Iraqi Kurdistan, Jordan, Iran, Iraqi, Erbil, Jan, Washington, Iraq, American, Baghdad, Ankara, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Kurdistan

Here is a look at Sweden's complicated path toward NATO membership. Sweden has stayed out of military alliances for more than 200 years and long ruled out seeking NATO membership. But the Russian aggression caused a dramatic shift in both countries, with polls showing a surge in support for NATO membership. That leaves Hungary as the last hurdle for Sweden's NATO bid. Not surprisingly, Moscow reacted negatively to Sweden and Finland's decision to abandon nonalignment and seek NATO membership, and warned of unspecified countermeasures.

Persons: —, hasn’t, Nonalignment, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Viktor Orbán, Ulf Kristersson, ” Organizations: STOCKHOLM, NATO —, Nordic, NATO, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, Kremlin, Swedish, ALLIANCE, Finns, RUSSIA, nonalignment Locations: NATO, Hungary, Sweden, Ukraine, Finland, Russia, Baltic, U.S, Turkey, Turkish, Swedish, Kurdistan, Stockholm, Budapest, SWEDEN, St, Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Moscow, Northern Europe

☆ Turkey’s parliament approves Sweden’s NATO membership, lifting key a hurdle
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Turkish legislators on Tuesday endorsed Sweden's membership in NATO, lifting a major hurdle on the previously nonaligned country's entry into the military alliance. The legislators ratified Sweden's accession protocol by 287 votes to 55, with four abstentions. Hungary then becomes the only NATO ally not to have ratified Sweden's accession. Turkey's main opposition party also supported Sweden's membership in the alliance but a center-right party and the country's pro-Kurdish party declared they would oppose it. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration never formally tied the sale of the F-16s to Turkey's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Jens Stoltenberg, Sweden's, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Burak Akcapar, Erdogan, Koray Aydin, Joe Biden's, John Kirby, Viktor Orbán Organizations: Swedish, NATO, Official Gazette, Ankara, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, Good Party, U.S . Congress, Administration, Turkey, National Security, Nordic Locations: Vilnius, Hungary, Turkey, Ankara, Stockholm, Kurdistan, Sweden, Turkey's, Canada, Washington, NATO, Finland, Ukraine, Budapest

CNN —The Turkish parliament voted Tuesday to approve Sweden’s NATO membership bid. Of the 346 members of parliament who voted, 287 were in favor of Sweden’s accession and 55 voted to reject it. However, on Tuesday, Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban said he had invited his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, to visit Hungary to negotiate the terms of Sweden’s accession. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier that year. Erdogan initially objected to Sweden’s membership bid, accusing Swedish officials of being too lenient on military groups, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Victor Orban, Ulf Kristersson, Erdogan, Ben Cardin Organizations: CNN, Turkish, NATO, Foreign Affairs Commission, Hungary’s, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, Foreign Locations: Turkish, Hungary, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Turkey, United States

☆ Explainer-What Turkey Gained in Delaying Sweden's NATO Bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Turkey ratified Finland's bid in April 2023 but, along with NATO member Hungary, has kept Sweden waiting. While Erdogan sent Sweden's NATO bid to Turkey's parliament for consideration last October, he openly linked the F-16s with its ultimate ratification. WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF SWEDEN'S BID? Though Turkey was seen as the main hurdle, Hungary has also not ratified Sweden's bid. Hungary pledged not to be the last to ratify the bid, but its parliament is in recess until around mid-February.

Persons: Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer ANKARA, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Gunnar Strommer, Jens Stoltenberg, Thomas Goffus, Viktor Orban, Timothy Heritage Organizations: NATO, Ankara, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, European Union, Canada, U.S . Congress, Eurofighter Locations: Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Stockholm, Helsinki, Washington, SWEDEN, FINLAND, Madrid, Kurdistan, Ankara, United States, Netherlands, SWEDEN'S

☆ Turkish Parliament to Debate Sweden's NATO Bid on Tuesday -Sources
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Huseyin HayatseverANKARA (Reuters) - The Turkish parliament's general assembly is set to debate Sweden's NATO membership bid on Tuesday, three sources from parliament said. But NATO member Turkey raised objections over what it said was the two countries' protection of groups that Ankara deems terrorists. Erdogan sent Sweden's bid to parliament in October, but has also linked its ratification with U.S. approval of sales of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. After talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he expected Turkey to ratify Sweden's NATO membership bid "in coming weeks." The parliament's foreign affairs commission approved the bid last month in the first step of the ratification process.

Persons: Huseyin Hayatsever, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Sweden's, Hakan Fidan, Antony Blinken, Christina Fincher Organizations: Turkish, NATO, Finland's, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, European Union, White House, U.S, Congress, Erdogan's AK Party, CHP Locations: Huseyin Hayatsever ANKARA, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Turkey, Ankara, Hungary, United States, Stockholm, Canada, Netherlands

☆ Turkey Launches Airstrikes Against Militants in Iraq, Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's military carried out airstrikes against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and Syria on Monday night, destroying 23 targets, the defence ministry said, sustaining an escalation of conflict south of the country's border. The upswing in violence began on Friday when nine Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq, prompting Ankara to conduct airstrikes and operations both there and in northern Syria. The latest airstrikes were carried out late on Monday in the Metina, Gara, Hakurk and Qandil regions of northern Iraq as well as in northern Syria to ensure border security and prevent attacks, the ministry said. Turkish forces regularly strike PKK militants based in the mountains of northern Iraq. Turkey has carried out a series of military incursions and bombing campaigns in Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia, which it regards as a wing of the PKK.

Persons: Daren Butler, Michael Perry Organizations: Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Kurdish YPG Locations: ISTANBUL, Iraq, Syria, Ankara, Gara, Hakurk, Turkey, United States, Turkish, Kurdish

☆ Turkish Strikes Hit Water, Power Infrastructure in Syria’s Kurdish-Held Northeast
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkey has carried out a wave of air strikes on electricity and oil infrastructure in Syria's Kurdish-held northeast that has put several power stations out of service, local sources and Syrian state media said on Monday. Hogir Najar, a media official at the Kurdish-run autonomous administration, told Reuters that at least 40 sites had been hit in Turkish shelling in the last two days, including power stations, water pumping stations and oil infrastructure. Syrian state television also reported the strikes on Monday, saying a Turkish drone had hit the Dirbasiyah power station and that Turkish air bombardment hit a power transfer station in the main town of Qamishli. Two water stations were also put out of service as Turkish strikes on Monday had cut off their electricity supply, Syria's state news agency SANA said. The air strikes destroyed targets consisting of caves, shelters and depots as well as a natural gas production facility, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Persons: Hogir, Najar, SANA, Hussein Seifo, We're, Maya Gebeily, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Turkey's National Intelligence Agency, MIT, Anadolu Agency Locations: BEIRUT, Turkey, Kurdish, Turkish, Qamishli, Syria, United States, Iraq, Anadolu

☆ Turkey Destroys 25 Kurdish Militant Targets in Northern Syria, Iraq - Ministry
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey carried out air strikes in northern Syria and Iraq, hitting 25 Kurdish militant targets, the Turkish Defence Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. The operations were conducted in northern Syria and Metina, Hakurk and Qandil regions of northern Iraq at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT), the ministry said. The defence ministry said many militants were "neutralised" - a term mostly used to mean killed - in air strikes that destroyed 25 targets consisting of caves, shelters and depots. Nine Turkish soldiers were killed in a clash on Friday with members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). (Reporting by Burcu Karakas; Editing by Mark Potter and Mike Harrison)

Persons: Burcu Karakas, Mark Potter, Mike Harrison Organizations: Turkish Defence Ministry, Kurdistan Workers Party Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkey, Syria, Iraq

☆ Sweden expects Turkey to approve its NATO membership 'within weeks'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS — Sweden expects Turkey to approve its NATO membership "within weeks," the country's foreign affairs minister told CNBC after a months-long impasse over Stockholm's future within the alliance. Sweden sent a formal application to join NATO back in May 2022, alongside Finland. The latter became an official member in April 2023, but Sweden has been kept waiting by member nations Hungary and Turkey. During a NATO summit in July, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to let Sweden into the alliance. "I had a bilateral with my colleague the foreign minister of Turkey, Hakan Fidan, where he told me he expects the ratification to take place within weeks," Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström said Wednesday in Brussels.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ulf Kristersson, Jens Stoltenberg, Hungary's, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hakan Fidan, Tobias Billström, Billström Organizations: Swedish, NATO, BRUSSELS —, CNBC, Kurdistan Workers Party, Foreign Locations: Vilnius, BRUSSELS, BRUSSELS — Sweden, Turkey, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Turkish, Brussels

☆ Turkey Expects to Ratify Sweden Accession to NATO 'Within Weeks', Swedish Minister Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Turkey has said it expects to ratify Sweden's long-delayed accession to NATO within weeks, Sweden's foreign minister told journalists on Wednesday. But Tayyip Erdogan, president of NATO member Turkey, raised objections over what he said was the countries' protection of groups that Ankara deems terrorists. Some in the Western defence bloc had hoped Sweden's ratification would be completed by now for an accession ceremony to take place on the sidelines of the Brussels meeting. "The Turkish foreign minister (Hakan Fidan) didn't present a date but said 'within weeks'. He expected the ratification of Sweden's NATO protocol to be made within weeks.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Finland's, Tobias Billstrom, Hakan Fidan, Billstrom, Ingrid Melander, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Heavens Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers, European Union Locations: BRUSSELS, Turkey, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Ankara, United States, Stockholm, Brussels, Turkish

☆ Turkey expects to ratify Sweden accession to NATO 'within weeks', Swedish minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom ahead of the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, November 28, 2023. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Turkey has said it expects to ratify Sweden's long-delayed accession to NATO within weeks, Sweden's foreign minister told journalists on Wednesday. Some in the Western defence bloc had hoped Sweden's ratification would be completed by now for an accession ceremony to take place on the sidelines of the Brussels meeting. "The Turkish foreign minister (Hakan Fidan) didn't present a date but said 'within weeks'. He expected the ratification of Sweden's NATO protocol to be made within weeks.

Persons: Hakan Fidan, Tobias Billstrom, SAUL LOEB, Tayyip Erdogan, Finland's, Billstrom, Ingrid Melander, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Turkish, Swedish, NATO, NATO Headquarters, Rights, Kurdistan Workers, European Union, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights BRUSSELS, Turkey, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Ankara, United States, Stockholm, Turkish

☆ Turkey Tells NATO That Sweden Won't Join by Next Week's Meeting -Sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Last week, the Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission delayed a vote on Sweden's NATO membership bid in order to hold further talks on the subject. The Turkish Foreign Ministry was not immediately available for comment. Both Sweden and Finland had requested to join NATO in May last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. For ratification, the bill needs to be approved by the Turkish foreign affairs commission before being put to a full parliament vote, which could come days or weeks later. While NATO member Hungary also has not ratified Sweden's membership, Turkey is seen as the main roadblock to Sweden's accession.

Persons: Jonathan Spicer, Sabine Siebold, Tayyip Erdogan, Finland's, Erdogan, Ezgi Erkoyun, Leslie Adler Organizations: NATO, Turkish Foreign Ministry, Nordic, Kurdistan Workers, European Union Locations: Sabine Siebold ANKARA, BRUSSELS, Turkey, Turkish, Brussels, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, embargoes, United States, Stockholm, Hungary

Last week, the Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission delayed a vote on Sweden's NATO membership bid in order to hold further talks on the subject. NATO foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on those days, Nov. 28-29, a gathering that some in the Western defence bloc had hoped would mark Sweden's accession. The Turkish Foreign Ministry was not immediately available for comment. Both Sweden and Finland had requested to join NATO in May last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While NATO member Hungary also has not ratified Sweden's membership, Turkey is seen as the main roadblock to Sweden's accession.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Olaf Scholz, Liesa, Finland's, Erdogan, Ezgi Erkoyun, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NATO, Turkish Foreign Ministry, Nordic, Kurdistan Workers, European Union, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Rights ANKARA, BRUSSELS, Turkey, Turkish, Brussels, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, embargoes, United States, Stockholm, Hungary

☆ Explainer: What Turkey gained in delaying Sweden's NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

NATO, Turkish, Swedish and Finnish flags are seen in this illustration taken May 18, 2022. Last year, Stockholm reversed a ban on exporting military equipment to Turkey, without revealing details of companies or products. WHAT HAVE OTHER NATO MEMBERS DONE? In October, Erdogan sent Sweden's NATO bid to Turkey's parliament for consideration. But it has faced objections in the U.S. Congress over Turkey's delaying NATO enlargement and its human rights record.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Gunnar Strommer, Jens Stoltenberg, Thomas Goffus, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Turkish, NATO, Stockholm, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, European Union, Canada, SWEDEN GO, U.S . Congress, Kurdish, Hamas, U.S, Thomson Locations: Rights ANKARA, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Sweden, Stockholm, Helsinki, Washington, SWEDEN, FINLAND, Madrid, Finland, Kurdistan, Ankara, United States, Netherlands, Brussels, Gaza

☆ Sweden's NATO bid delayed in Turkish parliament
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission delayed a vote on Sweden's NATO membership bid on Thursday in a further setback to the Nordic country's hopes of joining the Western alliance after 18 months of waiting. "For all of our lawmakers to approve Sweden's NATO membership, they need to be fully convinced. While there is no clear timeframe on approving the purchase request for the F-16s, Ankara has linked the issue to Sweden's bid. Some analysts say Turkey's parliament could fully ratify the bid by a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Nov. 28-29. While NATO member Hungary has also not ratified Sweden's membership, Turkey is seen as the main roadblock to Sweden's accession.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Fuat Oktay, Tayyip Erdogan's, Oktay, Erdogan, Finland's, Burak, Ali Sahin, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Christina Fincher Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Rights, Nordic, Kurdistan Workers, European Union, AK Party, White, Sweden's, Thomson Locations: Rights ANKARA, Turkish, Swedish, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Turkey, embargoes, United States, Stockholm, Canada, Netherlands, Ankara, Brussels, Gaza, Moscow, Russia, Hungary, U.S, Hungarian, Budapest

☆ Erdogan says he will try to facilitate Sweden's NATO bid ratification
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would try to facilitate the parliamentary ratification of Sweden's NATO membership as much as possible, but added that Stockhom had still not taken sufficient action on Kurdish militants. Erdogan submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification last month, a move welcomed by the alliance and Stockholm. Erdogan also said planned talks in parliament about Turkey's 2024 state budget would now take priority, suggesting that the approval of Sweden's NATO membership might not be rapid. "But we will try to facilitate the work (on ratifying Sweden's NATO bid) as much as possible. Finland's membership was sealed in April, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Stockhom, Erdogan, Haberturk, Jason Neely, Gareth Jones Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Stockholm, Turkey, Kazakhstan, embargoes, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

☆ Erdogan Says He Will Try to Facilitate Sweden's NATO Bid Ratification
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would try to facilitate the parliamentary ratification of Sweden's NATO membership as much as possible, but added that Stockhom had still not taken sufficient action on Kurdish militants. Erdogan submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification last month, a move welcomed by the alliance and Stockholm. Erdogan also said planned talks in parliament about Turkey's 2024 state budget would now take priority, suggesting that the approval of Sweden's NATO membership might not be rapid. "But we will try to facilitate the work (on ratifying Sweden's NATO bid) as much as possible. Finland's membership was sealed in April, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Stockhom, Erdogan, Haberturk, Jason Neely, Gareth Jones Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party Locations: ANKARA, Stockholm, Turkey, Kazakhstan, embargoes, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

☆ Turkish parliament won't speed up Sweden's NATO bid -committee chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President Tayyip Erdogan submitted the ratification bill for Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament last month, a move welcomed by Stockholm as it would clear the way for it to join the Western defence alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said he wants a "speedy vote" by Turkey's parliament and that the process was "going well". "Sweden's NATO membership is just one of the international agreements on our agenda waiting for ratification," Oktay told a meeting of lawmakers. The Sweden NATO membership bill must be approved by the committee before a vote by the full parliament, at which point Erdogan would sign it into law. Finland's membership was sealed in April, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Ataturk, Cagla, Jens Stoltenberg, Fuat Oktay, Oktay, Erdogan, Sweden's, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NATO, Sweden NATO, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, Thomson Locations: Anitkabir, Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Turkish, Stockholm, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary, Kurdistan

CNN —Sweden inched a step closer to joining NATO on Monday after Turkey’s president sent accession protocols to parliament. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted both Sweden and Finland to seek NATO membership but the former’s entry had been stymied by Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s sign off on the accession protocols comes after months of delays but it is unclear how long the process will take. Since applying for membership, Sweden has tightened its anti-terror legislation and agreed to work more closely with Turkey on its security concerns. The United States welcomed the news that Erdogan had signed and sent Sweden’s NATO accession protocols to the Turkish parliament on Monday.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s, Erdogan, Jens Stoltenberg, Matt Miller, ” Organizations: CNN, NATO, Turkish, Sweden’s, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, European Union, The United, ”, Hungary’s, Reuters Locations: Sweden, Russia’s, Ukraine, Finland, Turkey, Turkish, The United States, NATO, Hungary

☆ Turkey's Erdogan submits Sweden's NATO bid to parliament for ratification -presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses lawmakers from his ruling AK Party at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara, Turkey October 11, 2023. NO ARCHIVES./File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification, the presidency said, in a move welcomed by Stockholm that clears the way for it to join the Western defence alliance. "The Protocol on Sweden's NATO Accession was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 23, 2023 and referred to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey," the presidency said on social media platform X without elaborating. Finland's membership was sealed in April, in a historic expansion of the alliance, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary. Erdogan has previously linked Sweden's NATO bid to U.S. support for its request.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Sweden's, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson, Gumrukcu, Huseyin Hayatsever, Simon Johnson, Alex Richardson, Hugh Lawson Organizations: AK, Turkish, Presidential Press, Rights, NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Grand National Assembly of, Sweden's, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Stockholm, United States, Sweden, Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

☆ Turkey's drones are a big hit in Ukraine, but they're also showing how they can pose a threat to the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 drone has been praised for its performance against Russia in Ukraine. A Bayraktar TB2 drone, purchased in a crowdfunding campaign, displayed at a Lithuanian air base in July 2022. ReutersThe US no doubt supports Turkish drone sales to Ukraine and welcomes the TB2's success against Russian forces. In 2021, the US took issue with Turkey's sale of TB2 armed drones to Ethiopia during the Tigray War. The US government frequently touts its efforts to rally international support for Ukraine, and it undoubtedly welcomes the addition of Turkish TB2s Kyiv's arsenal.

Persons: Turkey's, —, Petras Malukas, TB2, Jodi Eastham, Pat Ryder, Ryder, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Joe Biden, GABRIEL BOUYS, Donald Trump, Biden, Paul Iddon Organizations: Russia, Service, Russian, Ukraine, Reuters, ISIS, Syrian Democratic Forces, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, US Army, Staff, Pentagon, Turkish Foreign Ministry, US, NATO, Getty, Turkish, Government, Islamic Locations: Ukraine, Turkey, Turkish, Kyiv, Ankara, Washington, Russia, Lithuanian, Syria, TB2s, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Ethiopia, Tigray, Kurdistan, Hasakah, United States, Madrid, AFP, Government of Turkey, Islamic State, Iraq, today's

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