NATO | What if Turkey only ratified Finland’s NATO membership? “This is a bit of a nervous game,” says Haavisto

Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (vihr) says that the progress of the NATO process must now be watched calmly. He does not speculate on what would happen or how Finland would act if Turkey decided to ratify only Finland’s membership and delay the acceptance of Sweden’s membership.

“Let’s take it easy. Now, of course, the main focus is on getting NATO’s expansion done in such a way that it would serve NATO’s security and then Finland’s and Sweden’s security,” says Haavisto.

He does not take a position on whether Finland could wait for Sweden if Sweden’s membership is still delayed.

“At this point, we can only say that we have traveled the same path with Sweden in this matter, and that is not only in the interest of Finland and Sweden, but also of NATO.”

Read more: How long will Turkey and Hungary slow down Finland’s NATO path? It’s good to be prepared for surprises

Turkey is recently again conveyed the message regarding NATO ratification that there is not really a problem with Finland, but rather with Sweden.

Prime minister Sanna Marini (sd) according to the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had told this message also in Prague, where a large number of leaders of European countries are currently meeting.

Erdoğan also repeated his threat in Prague to delay the ratification, linking it specifically to Sweden.

Haavisto stresses that the process started at the Madrid summit, where Finland, Sweden and Turkey discuss the so-called document of understanding, is moving forward.

With the document, Turkey agreed, after a delay, that the membership of Finland and Sweden would proceed. Finland and Sweden, on the other hand, promised, among other things, to intensify the fight against terrorism together with Turkey and to deal with Turkey’s pending deportation and extradition requests of suspects of terrorist acts “quickly and thoroughly”.

Haavisto also reminds that the situation is not new: Turkey already signaled at the time of the Madrid meeting that the situation in Finland and Sweden is viewed somewhat differently.

“But as far as I understand, Sweden has also made progress within the framework of this memorandum of understanding, so I wouldn’t even speculate now,” says Haavisto.

Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson met President Erdoğan last time in Prague. The Swedish delegation was also holding talks in Ankara this week.

Turkish Daily Sabah -lehti reported on Thursday that Turkey repeated its extradition requests to Sweden for persons it considers to be terrorists.

Haavisto says that he understood that the discussions between Finland and Turkey and Sweden and Turkey have been good-natured. As for Sweden, the situation will also soon be new, as the country’s government is about to change.

“Some of these comments are certainly related to the fact that they have not yet opened this discussion with the new government, since the government has not been named,” he says.

“This is a bit of a nervous game and that’s why it’s good [laittaa] ices to Hat. You can’t guess the whole process based on individual statements.”

I don’t hurt says that the discussions are also more extensive than just between Finland, Sweden and Turkey.

“This is now being followed quite closely by the 28 NATO countries that have ratified, so there are many other discussions going on here than just between Finland, Sweden and Turkey.”

He believes that the NATO countries are looking at the situation now, thinking about the security of NATO as a whole, at a time when the security situation seems more acute than a while ago.

The background is, among other things, the explosion of a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea and Russia’s ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine and the launch of a campaign in Russia.

“I think that the overall security situation is such that it will certainly make many people think about the benefit of two countries that are militarily quite strong and take care of their own defense, Finland and Sweden, coming together [jäseniksi]. It would also affect the security situation in the Baltic Sea,” says Haavisto.

“I believe that such discussions are currently taking place”

Also Prime Minister Marin commented on the matter on Friday in Prague, where he is participating in the EU summit.

He said that Turkey’s ratification is not something that Finland could influence.

“Of course, NATO member countries are responsible for their own ratifications. We have brought up in all contexts how important it is for us that Finland and Sweden go hand in hand to become NATO members”, he stated.

“It’s about the security of the whole of Northern Europe. This is without a doubt our interest and I also brought this up yesterday when I talked with President Erdogan.”

Read more: Sweden and Finland discussed NATO ratification with Turkey in Prague, Erdoğan repeated his threat