NATO: Turkey gives the green light for Finland to enter the military alliance

Turkey gave the go-ahead on Friday for Finland to join NATO, a decision that clears the way for the country’s entry. It was immediately welcomed by NATO, but there remains a deadlock over the question of Sweden’s membership.

We have decided to start the process Finland’s membership in NATO In our parliament, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after meeting in Ankara with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto on Friday. The Turkish president’s announcement paves the way for entry into the Nordic countries. Recommended.

Hungary must also ratify the Finnish and Swedish membership applications, which were submitted jointly last year afterRussian invasion of Ukraine, which requires unanimous approval. According to the government spokesperson, the Hungarian parliament will vote on membership of Finland alone on March 27.

Blockade of Turkey since May 2022

Turkey, which received its Finnish counterpart on Friday, has been preventing Finland from joining NATO since May 2022, and even more so, its Swedish neighbor, accusing Stockholm of being passive in the face of the Kurdish “terrorists” who have taken refuge in Sweden. . , demanding the extradition of the wanted, the government does not have the last word.

If the Swedish candidacy continues to be blocked by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish head of state, who continues to block the Swedish candidacy, acknowledged the “concrete measures” taken by Helsinki in recent months.

“I hope that (the Finnish membership application will be approved) before the elections” in Turkey, he said during a press conference with his Finnish counterpart. It is expected that the Turkish parliament will suspend its work about a month before the presidential and legislative elections on May 14.

“We hope that the (Turkish) parliament will have time,” the Finnish president said, describing the process as “very important for Finland.” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also “welcomed” the announcement.

Forced neutrality by Moscow after its war with the Soviet Union during World War II, Finland shares Europe’s longest border (1,340 km) with Russia, behind Ukraine.

The situation is more sensitive for Sweden, which still faces objections from Ankara.

Finland’s request is “incomplete” without Sweden

For the Finnish president, his country’s candidacy “is not complete without Sweden’s candidacy.”

“The most important thing is that Finland and Sweden quickly become full members of NATO, and not that they join exactly at the same time,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

In a press release, the French Foreign Ministry described Ankara and Budapest’s statements as an “important signal.” He added that Paris “expects” that Turkey and Hungary will proceed “without further delay” to ratify the protocol on Sweden’s accession to NATO.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan lamented on Friday, referring to more than 120 extradition requests made by Ankara, that “Sweden has not taken any positive action regarding the terrorist list.”

“hand in hand”

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström lamented shortly after that his country was still waiting for the green light from Turkey, saying however that Sweden was “ready” Finland gets it before her.

The burning of the Koran by an extremist in the Swedish capital in January put talks between Ankara, Helsinki and Stockholm on hold.

The Turkish president then hinted that Turkey was willing to ratify Finland’s membership separately, even though the two countries originally wanted to proceed “side by side”.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson acknowledged on Tuesday that the likelihood of his neighbor joining NATO before Sweden has “increased” recently, but he still hopes to complete his country’s accession to the alliance before the next NATO summit scheduled for July in Vilnius, Lithuania.