Turkey Reportedly To Rektify NATO Membership For Finland Before The Election, What Will Happen To Sweden?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shows Swedish and Finnish applications. (Source: NATO)

JAKARTA - Turkey's parliament "very likely" will ratify Finland's NATO membership application before mid-April, two Turkish officials told Reuters on Wednesday, a day before Finnish President Sauli Niinisto visited the country.

Sweden and Finland filed a request last year to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after Russia invaded Ukraine, but faced unexpected objections from Turkey. Ankara said Stockholm was hiding members of a terrorist group, which Sweden denies.

Parliament of all NATO member states consisting of 30 countries, must ratify every membership proposal for the alliance. Apart from Hungary, Turkey is the only member who has not given the green light to Finland and Sweden.

A senior Turkish official told Reuters Finland's candidacy would be approved separately from Sweden.

Another official familiar with the matter said Finland's approach to terrorist organizations was in line with Turkey's sensitivity and that Helsinki had taken steps in this regard.

"It is very possible that the necessary steps for Finland's NATO membership will be completed before (the parliament) closes and elections are held," the official said.

The two officials refused to be named, because the discussion was not yet open to the public.

Separately, President Niinisto, who will visit Turkey on March 16-17, said he believed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would announce his decision regarding Finnish membership nominations in NATO when the two met.

"We know that when Turkish President Erdogan has made a decision regarding Finland's NATO membership ratification, he wants to meet and fulfill his promise from the president to the president," President Niinisto said in an email to Reuters.

"Turkey hopes I will be there in person to accept the decision," he added.

Turkey has repeatedly said Sweden needs to take additional steps against supporters of Kurdish militants and members of the network deemed responsible for its 2016 coup attempt. Turkey treats the two groups as terrorist organizations.

Talks between Sweden and Turkey have made little progress, especially after several disputes over street protests by pro-Kurdish groups in Stockholm.

Amid rising tensions with Sweden, President Erdogan hinted for the first time in January, Ankara could give Helsinki the green light before Stockholm.

Separately, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday, Finland's chances of joining NATO earlier than Sweden had increased, after talks between the three sides in Brussels this week.

Turkey's parliament will close in mid-April ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for May 14.

President Erdogan indicated that he would soon send Finland's NATO membership ratification to parliament, saying he would "Keep his promise".

"Mr. President (Niinisto) will come to Turkey on Friday and we will meet. After that, we will fulfill our promise," President Erdogan told reporters on Wednesday when asked if he would send a ratification of Finland's NATO offer to the Turkish parliament next week.

"Positive messages will be given to the president of Finland during his visit," the second official said.

Meanwhile, the United States and other NATO countries hope that the two Nordic countries will become members of the alliance at the NATO summit which will be held on July 11 in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.