ISTANBUL, December 26. /TASS/. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish parliament on Tuesday approved Sweden's bid to join NATO, TRT Haber television reported.

The issue will now be put to a vote by a full parliament. The date of the vote has not been set yet, but procedural rules indicate the vote can happen at any time once 48 hours pass after the committee’s approval.

The Turkish parliament is due to adjourn for a winter recess on Friday. It is still unknown whether the vote will take place this year or next month, tentatively after January 10, a source in Turkey's political circles told TASS.

The legislature started reviewing Sweden's application for NATO membership in October.

Turkish stance

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said approval of Sweden's bid hinged on whether US Congress would allow selling F-16 fighter jets to Ankara. The Turkish president told reporters last week that US President Joe Biden assured him in a December 14 phone call that he felt positive about the potential F-16 sale.

Turkey asked the US several years ago to supply 40 F-16 Block 70 fighter jets and 80 Block 70 upgrade kits for its existing aircraft. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously said that some members of Congress called for linking these deliveries to Ankara's steps toward Sweden's admission to NATO. In early November, it was reported that technical talks about Turkey's potential purchase of F-16 fighter jets from the United States had been completed, with Ankara expecting a positive resolution of the issue.

Only Hungary and Turkey have not ratified the protocols on Sweden's accession to the alliance. In order to approve the kingdom's application to join NATO, Turkey requires the country to enforce its revised law on counterterrorism, in particular with respect to cracking down on the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is designated by Ankara as a terrorist organization.