Lithuanian parliament approves Sweden, Finland's NATO bids

By Mehmet Alaca

ANKARA (AA) - Lithuanian lawmakers on Wednesday ratified Sweden and Finland's accession into NATO.

"Lithuanian parliament just ratified Sweden's and Finland's NATO membership!" the Baltic nation's Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Twitter.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join the transatlantic alliance in June, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine.

But one longstanding member of the alliance, Türkiye, voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terror groups.

A trilateral agreement signed between the countries in June stipulates that Finland and Sweden will not provide support to the YPG/PYD, the PKK's Syrian offshoot, nor the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye, and said Ankara extends full support to Finland and Sweden against threats to their national security.

All 30 standing NATO allies need to approve any expansion.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the European Union, and the US, and is responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the terrorist PKK’s Syrian branch.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar