Agree To Protect Mutual Security: Turkey Withdraws Veto, Sweden And Finland Join NATO Soon?

JAKARTA - Turkey agreed to lift its vetoes over Finland and Sweden's bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), after the three countries agreed to protect each other's security, ending weeks of drama.

The breakthrough came after four hours of talks just before a NATO summit began in Madrid, averting an embarrassing stalemate at a meeting of 30 leaders aimed at demonstrating determination against Russia, which the US-led alliance now sees as a direct security threat, rather than as a direct security threat. possible enemy.

That means Helsinki and Stockholm could continue their applications to join the nuclear-armed alliance, cementing what would be Europe's biggest security shift in decades, as the two long-neutral Nordic nations seek NATO protection.

"Our foreign ministers signed a trilateral memorandum confirming that Turkey will support Finland and Sweden's application to become NATO members," Finnish President Niinisto said in a statement.

The steps for the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO will be agreed in the next two days, Niinisto said.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and the Turkish Presidency confirmed the deal in separate statements, following talks between the head of NATO, Turkish President Recep

Tayyip Erdogan, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Niinisto.

"A key memorandum has just been reached between Sweden, Finland, and Turkey. Paving the way for Sweden's accession to NATO," Andersson said in a Twitter post.

The standoff resolution strengthens the alliance's response to Russia - particularly in the Baltic Sea, where the membership of Finland and Sweden would give NATO a military advantage.

In the wider Nordic region, Norway, Denmark, and three Baltic countries are already members of NATO. Russia's war in Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", helped reverse decades of Sweden's opposition to joining NATO.

US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the deal. President Biden, in a Twitter post, called it an "important step towards a NATO invitation to Finland and Sweden, which will strengthen our Alliance and enhance our collective security." PM Johnson called it "fantastic news" to kick off the summit.

Stoltenberg said 30 NATO leaders would now invite Finland, which shares a 1.300km (810-miles) border with Russia, and Sweden to join NATO and that they would be the official "invitations". He told reporters: "The door is open, Finland and Sweden joining NATO will happen."

However, despite having given formal invitations to attend, the 30 NATO-allied parliaments must ratify the decision by the leaders, a process that could take up to a year.

Regarding the Turkey, Finland and Sweden deal, Stoltenberg said the provisions involved Sweden intensifying work on Turkey's extradition requests, against suspected militants and amending Swedish and Finnish laws to strengthen their approach to them.

In addition, Stoltenberg said Sweden and Finland would lift restrictions on arms sales to Turkey.

Separately, the Turkish Presidency's statement said the agreement reached on Tuesday meant, "Full cooperation with Turkey in the fight against the PKK and its affiliates."

He also said Sweden and Finland "show solidarity with Turkey in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations."