Hungary to approve NATO bids of Sweden, Finland in 2023

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Hungary will ratify NATO membership of Finland and Sweden in early 2023, the country's prime minister said Thursday.

"Hungary will surely give its backing to their accession, after the government had done, also parliament will do so," Viktor Orban told reporters at a briefing.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO in May, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine.

However, Türkiye voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terror groups.

A trilateral memorandum at the NATO summit signed among the countries in June stipulates that Finland and Sweden will not provide support to the YPG/PYD, the PKK's Syrian offshoot, or to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.