Turkey’s Parliament Unanimously Ratifies Finland’s Application to Join NATO, Clearing the Way for Historic Membership

Finland is set to join NATO after Turkey’s Parliament voted unanimously to ratify the Nordic country’s application on Thursday. This vote marks the end of months of delays and finally clears the way for Finland to become a member of the Western military alliance.

The decision to allow Finland into NATO was made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who promised to do so. The vote was held in the Turkish Parliament and all 276 lawmakers present voted in favor of Finland’s bid. This follows Hungary’s parliament endorsing Helsinki’s accession earlier this week.

The decision to join NATO comes after Finland and Sweden abandoned their decades-long policy of nonalignment and applied to join the alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said in a statement after the vote that his country is “now ready to join NATO.” He added that the vote marks a “historic moment” for Finland and that the country is looking forward to becoming a member of the alliance.

The addition of Finland to NATO is a significant step for the alliance, as it will bring the total number of members to 30. It also marks the end of a long process of negotiations and delays, and will help to strengthen NATO’s presence in the region.