Finland expects Türkiye’s approval of its NATO membership after meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday, President Sauli Niinisto said Thursday.
"I am convinced that he [Erdoğan] has very important messages to me and to Finland," Niinisto told reporters on Thursday in Türkiye's earthquake-hit southern city of Kahramanmaraş. "It might appear that we become members," he added.
Niinisto is in Türkiye for a two-day visit and is scheduled to meet Erdoğan on Friday in Istanbul.
"In my opinion, we have fulfilled everything that is needed. Now we are just waiting for ratifications," the Finnish president added, referring to ongoing negotiations with Türkiye since the middle of last year.
Türkiye will "keep the promise it made" regarding Finland's NATO entry, Erdoğan said on Wednesday in Ankara.
It was not immediately clear if and when the Turkish Parliament would start debating the ratification of NATO's Nordic expansion.
Finland and Sweden applied for membership of the Western military alliance about 10 months ago, in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With the exception of Hungary and Türkiye, all 30 current NATO members have since ratified their accession protocols.
Ankara is blocking the accessions, citing what it sees as insufficient commitment among the two NATO applicants to fight terrorism, primarily in reference to Sweden and PKK and Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
There has been talk of Türkiye allowing Finland join NATO first, with Sweden following at a later date. On Wednesday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson recognized that his country may end up joining a little later than its Nordic neighbor.
An official with knowledge of the matter said Finland’s approach to terrorist groups was in line with Türkiye’s sensitivities and that Helsinki had taken steps in that regard. “It is highly likely that the necessary step for Finland’s NATO membership will be completed before (parliament) closes and the election is held,” the official said.
Parliament is due to close in mid-April ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for May 14.
