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The Turkish parliament is reportedly expected to ratify Finland’s accession to NATO ahead of the country’s elections in May. The decision is also expected to be made public ahead of Finnish President Sauli Niinisto’s visit.
Two Turkish officials familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday that the Turkish parliament is very likely going to ratify Finland’s accession to the NATO alliance before mid-April. The decision would be announced the day before Niinisto visits Ankara.
A senior Turkish official said Finland’s accession would be ratified independently from Sweden’s, while another official said Helsinki had taken the necessary steps to gain Ankara’s approval.
“It is highly likely that the necessary step for Finland’s NATO membership will be completed before parliament closes and the election is held,” said the official.
Niinisto is set to visit Turkey from March 16 to March 17, and the Finnish leader said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan would be announcing his decision on Finland’s accession when they meet.
“We knew that when Turkish President Erdogan on his part has made the decision concerning the ratification of Finland’s NATO membership, he wants to meet and fulfill his promise president to president,” Niinisto told Reuters in an emailed statement. “The Turks had hoped I would be there in person to receive the decision.”
The United States weighed in on the potential plans by Ankara to approve Finland’s bid independently. Washington reiterated its stance that both Finland and Sweden should be approved and that the two Nordic countries are ready to join the NATO alliance. Turkey is considered the holdout from the remaining two NATO countries that have yet to ratify Sweden and Finland’s accession bids.
Ankara has said that Stockholm needs to take additional measures against the supporters of Kurdish militants and members of a group that Turkey considers to be terrorists. Turkey has accused Sweden of harboring said groups, which Stockholm has denied.
A NATO official said on Tuesday that the alliance’s top military commander General Christopher Cavoli has briefed the member countries about the incident in which a US surveillance drone was downed by a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea. The US Air Force said a Russian Su-27 fighter jet struck the propeller of the US “Reaper” drone, sending it crashing into the Black Sea.
