Turkish Parliament Ratifies Finland’s NATO Accession As Sweden Kept Waiting

“Sweden and Finland are both strong, capable partners that share NATO’s values and will strengthen the Alliance and contribute to European security,” a department spokesperson said.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, soon after the Turkish vote, said: “Finland stands with Sweden now and in the future and supports its application”.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said he had urged Turkey and Hungary to ratify both applications. A vote on Sweden’s bid has not yet been scheduled in Hungary.

WHAT’S NEXT?
The United States and other NATO countries are hoping that the two Nordic countries become members of the alliance at a NATO summit due to be held in July 11 in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius.

Twe Turkish parliament’s ratification of Finland’s NATO membership is set to be approved by President Tayyip Erdogan and then published in the country’s Official Gazette.

Finland has already completed the legal ratification process for its own part, in anticipation of its upcoming parliamentary election on Sunday and a corresponding electoral recess which could have otherwise postponed the process by some months.

Having completed the ratification process, both Turkey and Hungary need to send their approving documents to the U.S. government in Washington, which is the depository of NATO under the alliance’s founding treaty.

Stoltenberg will then formally invite Finland to join NATO.

As a final step, Finland will deliver its “instrument of accession”, a document signed by its foreign minister, with the U.S. government, the Finnish government said.

When Finland’s instrument of accession document reaches the U.S. State Department, the Nordic country will formally become a NATO member.

Reuters

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