Turkey’s parliament agrees to hold a long-delayed vote on Sweden’s NATO membership

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish legislators have scheduled a long-delayed vote on Sweden’s bid to join NATO, in a step that could remove a major hurdle for the previously nonaligned Nordic country’s entry into the military alliance. Turkey, a NATO member, has been dragging its feet on ratifying Sweden’s accession for more than a year, accusing the country of being too lenient toward groups it regards as security threats. It has been seeking concessions from Sweden, including a tougher stance toward Kurdish militants and members of a network that Ankara blames for a failed coup in 2016. Turkey also has been angered by Quran-burning protests that roiled Muslim countries.