Sweden: In what appears to be a significant concession to Ankara, which is threatening to block the Nordic nation from joining NATO, Sweden has re-authorized the export of munitions to Turkey.

After Sweden submitted its application to join NATO in mid-May, Ankara sought to lift sanctions that were imposed after Turkey's attack in northeastern Syria in 2019.

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The Inspectorate of Strategic Products said in a statement that "the government has determined that Swedish membership in NATO is the best way to protect the security of Sweden and the Swedish people."

The government said earlier in June that the policy governing military exports could change if Sweden joined the military alliance.

The authority claimed that Sweden's application for NATO membership significantly strengthens the defense and security policy justification for approving the export of munitions to other members, including Turkey.

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The ISP announced that it has authorized exports of "electronic equipment," "software," and "technical support" to Turkey for the third quarter of 2022.

The merger of Sweden and Finland has so far been ratified by 28 of the 30 NATO member states. Now there are only Turkey and Hungary. The acceptance of new coalition members must be unanimous.

Turkey's parliament is set to return to work on Saturday after the summer break. However, due to the upcoming parliamentary elections in June 2023, the nation may hesitate to approve membership of the Nordic countries.

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As of Friday, Ankara had not responded to the Swedish announcement.