Turkish parliamentary committee approves Finland's NATO bid
A Turkish parliamentary committee has unanimously approved Finland's NATO membership.
The Turkish Parliament's general assembly is set to ratify Finland’s NATO membership after the Nordic country’s accession protocol was approved by a parliamentary committee late Thursday.
The parliament's foreign affairs committee unanimously approved the protocol pertaining to Finland's accession to the alliance.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the initiation of Finland's ratification process during Finnish President Sauli Niinisto’s Ankara visit last week. He called on the parliament for swift ratification before the May 14 elections.
The committee will now submit its decision to the general assembly, which is expected to debate and ratify the protocol before mid-April, when the parliament will adjourn. The Erdogan-led ruling alliance holds the majority in the parliament and no opposition parties have raised any opposition to the Finnish bid so far.
