Helsinki asked to join the organisation last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland has moved a step closer to becoming a NATO member after Turkey’s parliament ratified its accession to the alliance.
Turkey was the last of NATO’s 30 members to accept Finland’s application, which was submitted in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier in March that Finland had secured Turkey’s blessing after taking concrete steps to keep promises to crack down on groups seen by Ankara as terrorists, and to free up defence exports.
However, Turkey is still blocking the approval of Sweden joining NATO, with the government saying Stockholm has so far failed to sufficiently crackdown on similar groups.
I welcome the vote of the Grand National Assembly of #Türkiye to complete the ratification of #Finland’s accession. This will make the whole #NATO family stronger & safer.
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) March 30, 2023
Finland and Sweden asked to join the transatlantic military alliance last year in response to President Vladimir Putin’s war.
Finland’s membership would represent the first enlargement since North Macedonia joined the alliance in 2020.
Turkey has repeatedly said Sweden needed to take additional steps against supporters of Kurdish militants and
members of the network it holds responsible for a 2016 coup attempt.
Ankara treats both groups as terrorist organisations.
Talks between Sweden and Turkey have made little progress, especially following several disputes mainly over street protests by pro-Kurdish groups in Stockholm.
“Finland stands with Sweden now and in the future and supports its application,” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said soon after the Turkish vote.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he had urged Turkey and Hungary to ratify both applications. A vote on Sweden’s bid has not yet been scheduled in Hungary.