Finland moved one step closer to joining NATO as the country’s parliament began a debate aimed at expediting the country’s bid to join the military alliance. Turkiye is likely to approve Finland’s NATO membership bid
On Tuesday, when NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets with Prime Minister Sanna Marin and President Sauli Niinisto, Finnish MPs will debate a bill in this regard.
The bill will next be voted on on Wednesday, and it is expected to pass with little resistance, given the initial membership attempt in May was supported by 188 of the 200 members in parliament.
Once approved by parliament, the law will be transmitted to the president, whose signature is required to formalize the bidding process.
They will submit their papers of accession to Washington when the president has signed the bill.
Numerous Lawmakers have been working hard to expedite the legislation for Finland’s NATO membership request before the April 2 election.
Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO last year after the Russian invasion
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland, and Sweden both applied to join the transatlantic defense alliance last year. NATO membership also necessitates the support of all 30 members.
Despite receiving unanimous support from all members, Sweden was met with Turkish criticism over recent back-to-back rallies in Stockholm.
The first demonstration was staged by a Kurdish group in Stockholm, where an effigy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was exhibited dangling from its feet. Rasmus Paludan, a far-right politician, organized another protest in which he burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish consulate.
Erdogan has stated that Turkiye will not back Sweden’s NATO accession request and has demanded that they repatriate hundreds of people whom Turkiye regards as “terrorists.” “, as well as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Turkiye, on the other hand, saw Finland favorably, with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu remarking on Monday, “We may separate Sweden and Finland’s membership process.”