Finland Contacts Turkey Following Erdoğan’s NATO Remarks

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö announced that his country immediately contacted Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hinted his country might prioritise Finland’s NATO membership bid over Sweden.

Niinistö said that both his office and Foreign Ministry contacted Turkey and that preliminary discussions have already taken place between the foreign ministries of their countries.

He said he also held talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last week over ratification of Finland’s membership to the alliance.

The Finnish president, however, added that they were still intent on joining NATO together with Sweden.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg had also said weeks ago that he believes Finland and Sweden will soon join the NATO alliance despite Turkey's reluctance to approve.

Stoltenberg said; “I’m confident the accession process will be finalized for Sweden and Finland and all NATO allies will ratify the accession protocols in their parliaments. That also goes for Turkey."

He said the membership process generally takes years but all 30 members invited Finland and Sweden to join and sign their accession protocols in July last year. Since then, 28 countries, except Turkey and Hungary, have endorsed the move through their national procedures.

He also played down any risk that Finland and Sweden might come under attack or pressure for trying to join NATO.