The Turkish parliament has approved Finland's bid to join NATO, clearing a path for the country to join the security alliance amid continued fears about the threat posed by Russia among its European neighbors following its invasion of Ukraine.
Finland has moved one step closer to joining NATO after Hungary ratified the Nordic country s bid on Monday. A similar decision is expected in the coming weeks from Turkey, the only alliance member that hasn t approved Finland s membership
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday (March 15) that Turkey had decided on ratifying Helsinki's NATO bid. The claim came after reports emerged that Ankara's parliament will "highly likely" ratify Finland's NATO accession bid before mid-April.
Niinisto will visit Istanbul this week for the final decision taken by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Finnish President said, "The Turks have hoped that I will be there to receive the answer when they announce the decision. Of course, I accepted the invitation and will go to receive his expression of intent."
A bipartisan group of senators in the US Congress aid that Washington will not support the $20 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye until Ankara ratifies the NATO memberships of Sweden and Finland. Last year, after President Vladimir Putin of Russia launched 'special military operations' against Ukraine that soon shaped into a full-fledged war, Sweden and Helsinki sought to join trans-Atlantic defence pact. It soon faced resistance from Turkiye that continues till present.