Finnish president optimistic Ankara will ratify NATO bid
"I'm optimistic that at the end Türkiye will ratify our membership, I hope it takes place as soon as possible," Finnish president Sauli Niinisto told a joint news conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius.
- World
- Reuters
- Published Date: 02:33 | 04 November 2022
- Modified Date: 02:52 | 04 November 2022
Finnish president Sauli Niinisto is optimistic Türkiye will ratify Finland's application to join NATO, he told reporters on Friday.
"I'm optimistic that at the end Türkiye will ratify our membership, I hope it takes place as soon as possible," Niinisto told a joint news conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius.
Finland and neighbouring Sweden applied for membership of the defence alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The process has been prolonged by negotiations between Finland, Sweden and Türkiye after Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blasted the Nordic countries for putting their support behind FETO and PKK terror groups.
Niinisto repeated his stance that Finland and Sweden joining together would benefit the whole alliance.
"It's very important to walk hand in hand with Sweden ... Swedish membership is important for all of us," he said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is currently in Türkiye and will meet with Erdogan on Friday while Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson is due to travel to Ankara on Nov. 8.
- Ukrainian troops fire on Russians with captured weapons near key city
- Foreign ministers discuss Türkiye-UAE ties, regional developments
- Ukrainian forces brace for bloody fight for Kherson
- Biden's national security advisor visits Ukraine, meets Zelenskyy
- UN chief calls on North Korea to end 'provocative action'