May 28, 2024
Turkey’s parliament ratifies Finland’s NATO application | CBC News

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Finland’s NATO application | CBC News

Politics·Breaking

Turkey’s parliament has ratified Finland’s application to join NATO, lifting the last hurdle in the way of the Nordic country’s long-delayed accession into the Western military alliance.

Finland abandoned longstanding policy of nonalignment with application

Two men shake hands.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto shake hands during a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on March 17. (Burhan Ozbilici/The Associated Press)

Turkey’s parliament on Thursday ratified Finland’s application to join NATO, removing the last hurdle in the way of the Nordic country’s long-delayed accession into the Western military alliance.

All 276 lawmakers present voted unanimously in favour of Finland’s bid, days after Hungary’s parliament also endorsed Helsinki’s accession.

Alarmed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Finland and Sweden abandoned their decades-long policy of nonalignment and applied to join the alliance.

Full unanimity is required to admit new members into the 30-member alliance and Turkey and Hungary were the last two NATO members to ratify Finland’s accession.

Sweden’s bid to join the alliance, meanwhile, has been left hanging, with both Turkey and Hungary holding out on giving it the green light despite expressing support for NATO’s expansion.

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