After Turkey’s parliament ratified their accession, Finland is now closer to joining NATO.

Turkey was the last NATO member to accept Finland’s request, which was submitted following Russia’s invasion Ukraine last year.

Turkey’s President Recep Tyyip Erdogan stated earlier in March that Finland had gained Turkey’s blessing. He said this after having taken concrete steps to fulfill promises to Ankara to end terror groups and to allow defense exports to be freed up.

Turkey continues to block the approval of Sweden joining NATO. The government claims that Stockholm has not yet taken sufficient measures against similar groups.

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Finland, and Sweden requested to join the transatlantic alliance military alliance in 2017 as a response to President Vladimir Putin’s war.

Finland’s membership will be the first since North Macedonia joined in 2020.

Turkey repeatedly stated that Sweden must take further steps to combat Kurdish militant supporters.

It holds members of its network responsible for the 2016 coup attempt.

Both groups are considered terrorist organizations by Ankara.

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Soon after the Turkish vote, Sanna Marin, Finnish Prime Minister, stated that Finland stands with Sweden and will continue to support its application.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that he had asked Turkey and Hungary for their ratifications. Hungarians have not yet scheduled a vote on Sweden’s bid.

What’s next?

Turkey and Hungary will send acceptance letters to the US, which is the safekeeper or depositary of NATO’s 1949 founding treaty.

These letters will be placed in the US State Department’s archives. They will notify Stoltenberg immediately that all conditions have been met for Finland becoming a NATO member.

NATO will send Finland an invitation to join the alliance, signed by Mr Stoltenberg.

Next, the Nordic nation will send its acceptance document signed by Foreign Minister Pekka Haisto to the US State Department.

President Sauli Niinisto authorized Mr Haavisto to sign the document.

The document will be delivered by either the Finnish Embassy in Washington, or a Finnish official.

The country becomes an official NATO member once the acceptance document from Finland reaches Washington’s State Department.