If Turkey approves Finland’s NATO application before Sweden’s, Finland cannot do anything about it, says Finnish President Sauli Niinistö on Friday. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB
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17. feb. 2023 13:47 – Updated 17 Feb. 2023 14:10
If Turkey approves Finland’s NATO application before Sweden’s, Finland will not withdraw or stop the process, says Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.
The statement was given to several Finnish media during the first day of the major security conference in Munich on Thursday.
– If Turkey approves Finland’s NATO application before Sweden’s, Finland cannot do anything about itthe president added.
On the same day, the Foreign Affairs Committee in Helsinki voted yes to Finland’s National Assembly as a whole approving Finland’s NATO membership.
The committee stressed that entry into the defense alliance should take place as quickly as possible, but also that Finland should ideally enter together with Sweden.
Turkey has so far not formally recognized either Finland or Sweden, but has opened the door to recognizing Finland alone.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that Turkey cannot say yes to Sweden as long as the country allows Koran burning and has demanded the extradition of a number of people the Turkish authorities claim are associated with the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Gülen movement.
