Türkiye became the last member state to approve Finland's accession to NATO. The majority of lawmakers voted to allow the country to join the Alliance.
Türkiye approved Finland's accession to NATO. The vast majority of the Turkish Parliament voted in favour of the northern European country joining the defence alliance shortly before midnight, according to the state news agency Anadolu Agency. All 30 NATO members approved Finland's membership.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that Finland's NATO membership would "make the entire NATO family stronger and safer." Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland tweeted, "We will defend each other," after the vote in Ankara. President Sauli Niinistö said he wanted to thank every one of NATO members for their "trust and support." He said Finland would be "a strong and capable Ally, committed to the security of the Alliance."
Accession could be sealed as early as next week
A "yes" vote in the Turkish Parliament was a foregone conclusion when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave Helsinki the green light last Friday after months of delays. Hungary already ratified the country's accession on Monday. Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, now only needs to complete a few technical formalities before joining the military alliance.
According to the news agency DPA, diplomats expect the formalities to be completed within the next few days. As a result, the accession could be sealed at the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Decision on Sweden still on hold
However, Türkiye continues blocking Sweden's accession, and Hungary's approval is still pending. Following the outbreak of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, Sweden and Finland jointly applied for NATO membership, breaking with a long tradition of far-reaching military neutrality. Türkiye accuses Sweden of not acting consistently enough against "terrorist organisations" and criticises the country for failing to respond to Türkiye’s extradition requests. Sweden has recently proposed a draft for stricter anti-terrorism legislation, but the Turkish blockade remains unchanged.