Sweden edges closer to NATO after vote in Turkish parliamentary commission

ANKARA (Reuters) - The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission approved Sweden's NATO membership bid on Tuesday, in a key step toward enlarging the Western bloc after 19 months of delays in which Ankara demanded terror-related concessions from Stockholm.

The next step is a full parliament vote that is also expected to pass, likely to be held within weeks. Erdogan would then sign it into law, concluding a process that frustrated some of Ankara's allies and tested its Western ties.

Sweden and Finland asked to join NATO last year in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While Ankara ratified Finland, it has raised objections to Sweden's bid over what it said was Stockholm's protection of groups that Ankara deems terrorists.

While NATO member Hungary has also not ratified Sweden's membership, Turkey is seen as the main roadblock to adding the Scandinavian nation to the military alliance and bolstering its defences in the Baltic Sea region.

(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever,; Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Tuvan Gumrukcu)