Finland will not join NATO if Swedenʼs membership is postponed due to disputes with Turkey.
This was stated by the President of Finland Sauli Niiniste at a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Stoltenberg reaffirmed his view that Turkeyʼs allied fears were taken seriously, "because it is about terrorism and arms supplies." Niiniste, for his part, confirmed that Finland does not intend to apply for membership without Sweden: "I will say that the case of Sweden is our case. That means we will move on together. "
Last month, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO, but they faced opposition from Turkey, which accused them of supporting and hiding Kurdish militants and other groups it considers terrorists. Turkey is a key ally for the alliance due to its strategic location on the Black Sea between Europe and the Middle East.