Sweden's NATO bid delayed in Turkish parliament

FILE PHOTO: Swedish and NATO flags are seen printed on paper this illustration taken April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo

ANKARA (Reuters) - The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission delayed a vote on Sweden's NATO membership bid on Thursday, in a rare move putting off enlarging the Western alliance after 18 months of waiting in which Ankara demanded terror-related concessions from Stockholm.

Chairman Fuat Oktay said the commission, which is controlled by President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party, will hold further talks and may bring the bill back on its agenda next week - but he did not set a clear timeline.