Finnish leader: our NATO membership is in the hands of Turkey

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said his country’s NATO membership process is in the hands of Turkey.

Making a statement to journalists after the Finnish Parliament announced that it would ratify NATO’s founding agreements on February 28, Niinisto said: “This is an expression of our will. Turkey’s approach to our request is completely in the hands of Turkey,” he said.

Niinisto stated that if Turkey makes such a decision, Finland can become a NATO member without Sweden, saying, “We cannot withdraw our candidacy application and we don’t want to do that.”

Turkey has not yet approved Sweden and Finland’s application to join NATO after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. After the provocation of burning the Koran in Sweden, talks with the two countries stopped, but Ankara made statements that only Finland’s membership could be approved.