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.

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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