Yesterday, Tayyip Erdoğan gave his consent for Finland’s accession to NATO, with a 10-month delay, yet maintaining the Turkish veto regarding Sweden, which had submitted an application to join the Alliance at the same time as its neighboring country.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Finnish President, Sauli Niinisto, who visited Ankara yesterday, Tayyip Erdogan said that based on the progress made in implementing the protocol for Finland’s accession to NATO, Turkey decided to start the ratification process in parliament.

The Turkish President was referring to the memorandum of understanding signed last June by the two Nordic states with Turkey to appease its concerns about the prosecution of “terrorism”.

In contrast to Finland, Erdogan argued that Sweden had “opened its arms to terrorists” and that its future NATO membership would depend solely on its stance.

Around the same time as Erdogan’s statements, the parliamentary group of Hungary’s ruling party, Fidesz, announced that the two countries’ membership request will be put to a vote on March 31.

Hungary and Turkey are the only NATO member-states that have not yet ratified membership.

Source: Kathimerini

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