NATO: Turkey removes final obstacle to Finland’s membership

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s parliament approved as expected on Thursday a text allowing Finland to join NATO, removing the last major obstacle to the country’s membership of the transatlantic alliance, against the backdrop of the second year of the war in Ukraine.

Turkey was the last of the 30 member countries of the Alliance to have yet to approve Finland’s membership, after Hungary ratified a text to this effect earlier this week.

Sweden and Finland made a diplomatic turn last year by asking to join NATO in reaction to the offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine. The process has been slowed down by Turkey and Hungary, while the parliamentary approval of the 30 members of the Alliance is necessary for any membership.

This green light from Ankara was announced this month by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said that Helsinki had taken the measures demanded by Turkey with regard to groups it considers terrorists and regarding commercial exports.

Ankara, on the other hand, is still blocking the accession of Sweden, which it accuses of not doing enough in the fight against individuals in its eyes as terrorists, despite a trilateral pact signed last year by Turkey, Sweden and Finland.

NATO has not welcomed a new member since the entry of North Macedonia in 2020.

(Report by Ezgi Erkoyun and Mert Ozkan; French version Jean Terzian)