Erdogan's NATO Support for Sweden Raises EU Bid Conditions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join NATO, according to NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. Erdogan will forward Sweden's bid to the Turkish parliament and work towards its ratification. Turkey had previously stalled the process, accusing Sweden of hosting Kurdish militants. Stoltenberg described this as a "historic step" but did not provide a specific timeline for Sweden's accession. Hungary is the only other NATO member yet to ratify Sweden's membership application. Erdogan had initially linked Turkey's support to Sweden with the EU re-opening membership talks, but the EU rejected this demand.