The Turkish government opens the door for Finland to join NATO. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced during a press conference with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinistö that the parliament could consider the ratification process.
“NATO will become stronger with Finland joining,” Erdogan said. He also said that Turkey attaches “importance to Finland’s strong support for Turkey’s accession to the European Union”. Niinistö welcomed the decision and stressed the importance of NATO membership for his country.
PKK
Finland and Sweden agreed to join NATO at the same time last year due to the war in Ukraine. But Ankara believes that Sweden, unlike Finland, is still not taking sufficient action against supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and other groups considered to be terrorists. Talks with Sweden continue, Erdogan said.
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Hungary
There is still no date for the vote in the Turkish parliament. Erdogan says he hopes it can take place before the May elections. Hungary has also yet to give the green light to Finland’s accession, which is expected to take place on 27 March despite the delays. Other NATO countries have already done this. New members must be approved by all member states.
Source: BNR
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