The Turkish president announced in the coming weeks that Turkey will confirm its seal of approval for Finland to join NATO, while Sweden remains in a holding pattern. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke during a joint press conference with Finland’s president Sauli Niinistö in Ankara, a visit that comes amid years of speculation. After this update, Hungary — another NATO member whose consent is still pending — signaled a March 27 vote in favor of Finland, effectively keeping Sweden on the sidelines for now. For any nation to enter NATO, unanimous parliamentary approval from all member states is required.
Erdogan emphasized that Turkey has long defended NATO’s open-door policy, but argued that national security must come first. He pointed to a trilateral agreement with Sweden and Finland reached at the Madrid summit last year as a framework that still guides Turkey’s stance. The Turkish leader noted concrete steps from Finland since that agreement and announced that Turkey would begin the process of parliamentary approval for Finland’s accession. He expressed hope that the move would benefit both Turkey and the alliance, underscoring Finland’s potential contribution to NATO’s strength and cohesion.
According to Erdogan, the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) is expected to grant approval in the coming weeks. Time is a pressing factor as Turkey heads toward presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14, with the lower house due to be dissolved in mid-April. Erdogan suggested that Finland’s accession should be completed before that date and hinted that Sweden might need to wait a bit longer.
“our neighbor”
President Niinistö responded by stressing the significance of the step for Finland, while acknowledging the close ties with Sweden. He described Sweden as a neighbor with deep shared interests and added that a complete NATO lineup would feel unfinished without Sweden. Niinistö highlighted the extensive connections and cooperation between the two Nordic nations and expressed hope that the Vilnius summit could see NATO reach 32 members.
The upcoming Vilnius summit, planned for July, is viewed by many analysts as a deadline-like checkpoint for Turkey to finalize Sweden’s accession after the elections. Observers note that domestic political considerations in Turkey may shape the timing of any decision and suggest that President Erdogan could be positioning himself as a strong national leader during the electoral period. The broader question remains how Ankara will balance domestic pressures with alliance commitments and regional security dynamics.
Experts point to ongoing negotiations around Turkey’s security red lines, including a list of individuals Ankara labels as terrorists to be extradited. Turkish officials have described this list as a non-negotiable demand for Sweden, while Stockholm has warned that extraditions could risk due process or fair trials under Turkish law. Sweden has repeatedly indicated that it cannot fulfill certain extradition requests, arguing that justice systems in Turkey do not always meet the standards required for fair treatment of detainees. The Swedish government says decisions on extraditions rest with its courts and authorities, and that cooperation must respect human rights and due process.
As NATO members and allied partners assess the path forward, the situation remains closely watched by capitals across North America and Europe. The stance taken by Ankara, Helsinki, and Stockholm will influence not only the expansion timeline but also the political rhetoric surrounding security commitments in the region. In Canada and the United States, analysts emphasize the importance of a united Nordic front for deterrence and strategic interoperability within the alliance, as well as the procedural realities facing each country’s legislatures in approving new members. The evolving dialogue underscores how alliance cohesion can hinge on balancing national security concerns with collective defense obligations, a dynamic of interest to readers following NATO’s evolving membership landscape (Source: Reuters).