During a planned visit to Turkey on March 16–17, the Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, is set to address Finland’s NATO membership application. Reports indicate that the Turkish side will discuss the status of Helsinki’s bid within the framework of the talks, reflecting Ankara’s ongoing role in shaping the approval process. The information alignment comes from the Turkish administration and has been cited by news agencies covering the visit (Turkish Presidency).
The itinerary confirms that Niinistö will undertake a working visit to Turkey from March 16 to March 17, 2023, at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The discussions are expected to cover bilateral relations as well as regional security matters, with NATO accession representing a central topic on the agenda (Turkish Presidency).
Ankara has signaled that the potential approval of Finland’s NATO membership will be a focus of the talks, alongside other strategic issues. This signals continued engagement by Turkey as part of the alliance expansion debate, and underscores the importance of consensus among member states for any new admissions (Turkish Presidency).
At the same time, commentary from European and regional leaders has highlighted the possibility of Finland and Sweden approaching NATO membership in a two-step or closely coordinated manner. Former Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson suggested that Sweden is prepared to support Finland’s accession, even if it requires a separate entry arrangement. Such statements reflect ongoing discussions about how to integrate Nordic candidates into the alliance while maintaining unitary security guarantees across the region (European political commentary).
Finnish officials have indicated optimism that the final confirmation of accession could occur before the next U.S. presidential election, which would be a milestone in the security alignment of Northern Europe. The timeline discussions mirror the broader timeline concerns of allied capitals as they navigate parliamentary approvals and ratification processes within their respective governments (NATO stakeholders).
Finland and Sweden formally submitted applications to join NATO in May 2022. Since that moment, the alliance has required unanimous consent from all 30 member states before either country could become a full member. Hungary and Turkey have been among the last holdouts, with both governments citing a range of political and security considerations as conditions for approval. The path to membership thus remains contingent on the willingness of allied capitals to finalize ratification and integrate these Nordic applicants into the alliance structure (NATO communications, regional security briefings).