Finland's NATO membership approved in Ankara in Parliamentary Commission

Photos: AA

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The Foreign Affairs Commission of the Parliament of Turkey approved a bill that ratifies Finland's bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in its meeting yesterday (March 23).

Deputy Foreign Minister Burak Akçapar briefed the meeting of the commission where officials from the Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Defense, Interior Affairs, and the National Security Agency also participated, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

"Finland's membership will strengthen NATO"

"We believe that Finland's membership will strengthen the NATO alliance, contribute to the burden-sharing of the alliance against threats, contribute to NATO's deterrence, regional security, and our determination in the fight against terrorism," Akçapar said.

The Deputy FM reminded that Finland's President Sauli Niinistö visited Maraş and Ankara on March 16-17 following the devastating February 6 earthquakes and met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

"Finland was more prepared and determined to meet our expectations and respond to our considerations," said Akçapar and reminded that Finland amended its related legislation so as to define encouraging joining a terrorist organization, aiding or provoking terror acts as crimes, AA reported.

Finland's President Sauli Niinistö visited Turkey and met with President Erdoğan on March 17

Akçapar concluded that as a result, President Erdoğan had announced that they have decided to start the procedures in the parliament in order to ratify the protocol for Finland's participation in NATO during President Niinistö's visit last week.

"CHP wants also Sweden to join"

İstanbul MP and former diplomat Ünal Çeviköz who spoke for the Republican People's Party said that besides supporting Finland's membership, they also wish that "the problems are overcome with Sweden in the shortest possible time and that Sweden's membership also, in line with the principle of "indivisibility of security" should come to their agenda and should be ratified."

"The more we fight terror the more insecure we become"

Tülay Hatimoğulları, the Adana MP of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) criticized the "U-turns" of Erdoğan governments and said that what Turkey needs is a consistent policy. "We pay the heaviest price as the country. It is clear, it is known now that extensions of ISIS and similar organizations have their cells and organizations in Turkey. So our country is not safe and in this atmosphere that is not safe, a policy is pursued where the insecurity grows more the more we say "we are going to fight terrorism. It is not possible that we approve this, we never did, and we do not approve it today either."

The bill approving Finland's participation in NATO was approved by the commission after the discussions.

The commission will prepare a report on the bill and submit it to the General Assembly of the Parliament. It is expected that the bill will be adopted in the General Assembly of the Parliament before the Parliament's leave for the elections.

Ratification process for Finland and Sweden

Finland's president Sauli Niinisto signed the NATO legislation of his country in a ceremony, again yesterday.

Hungary and Turkey are two countries among the 30 NATO members that have not yet ratified Finland's membership. All NATO members have to ratify a new membership to the alliance in order for it to be accepted.

It is expected that the parliament of Hungary will ratify Finland's NATO membership on March 27.

Eduskunta, the 200-seat parliament of Finland, approved the country's NATO bid early in March with 184 votes in favor and 7 votes against.

The parliament of Sweden also voted in favor of the country's NATO bid on Wednesday.

What happened?

Sweden and Finland last year applied to join NATO, in a decision triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Turkey, however, objected to their membership, citing their inaction against "terror groups," namely the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the "Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)," an Islamic group held responsible for the 2016 coup attempt.

The three countries signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding on June 28 at the NATO summit in Madrid, which stipulates that Finland and Sweden will not provide support to the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the People's Defense Units (YPG), which Turkey sees as the PKK's extensions in Syria.

The Nordic countries also agreed to address Ankara's pending deportation or extradition requests regarding "terror" suspects.

Turkey's parliament must ratify the country's approval for Finland and Sweden's membership for them to join NATO.

In September, Sweden lifted restrictions on arms sales to Turkey, which was among Ankara's demands in order to approve its NATO bid.

The trilateral talks were interrupted after the Quran-burning incidents in Sweden in late January.

Erdoğan implied during this period that Turkey might allow Finland's membership without Sweden.

(AEK/PE)