Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Turkey Blocks Procedural Vote on Finland, Sweden’s NATO Applications

Brussels – Finland and Sweden formally submitted their applications today (May18) to join NATO. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked the Finnish ambassador to NATO, Mr. Klaus Korhonen, and the Swedish ambassador to NATO, Mr. Axel Wernhoff, adding that “it is a good day, at a critical moment for our security.

Welcoming the requests from Finland and Sweden to join NATO, Stoltenberg said that every nation has the right to choose its own path. Calling the applications a “historic step,” Stoltenberg said, “You are our closest partners, and your membership in NATO would increase our shared security.”

Stoltenberg noted that the security interests of all Allies have to be considered, but they are determined to work through all issues and reach rapid conclusions. “All Allies agree on the importance of NATO enlargement. We all agree that we must stand together. This is a historic moment, which we must seize,” said Stoltenberg.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg receives official letters of application to join NATO from Klaus Korhonen (ambassador of Finland accredited to NATO) and Axel Wernhoff (ambassador of Sweden accredited to NATO)

Finland and Sweden’s applications to NATO are a dramatic shift from their historically neutral positions.  

NATO membership is open to any “European state in a position to further the principles of the [North Atlantic] Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area”. The Treaty’’s Article 10 also states that any decision on enlargement must be made “by unanimous agreement”. 

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quick to block a procedural vote on NATO moving ahead with Sweden and Finland’s membership applications, citing  their support for “terrorist organizations” in their countries – namely the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.

- Advertisement -spot_img
- Advertisement -spot_img
- Advertisement -spot_img

Latest news

Trump 2.0 and India-US Relations: Strengthening Trusted Partnership

New Delhi - India-US relations have been in a sweet spot for the last twenty-five years, starting with the...

Dispelling Myths: The Truth About Hazaras and Iran

Washington, DC - Since relocating to the United States in 2014, I, like many Hazaras—a minority ethnic group in...

Bridging the Gap: Empowering Christian Youth in Pakistan for Mainstream Representation

The representation of Christian youth in Pakistan's mainstream institutions, decision-making processes, and policy formulation remains a critical gap. Despite...
- Advertisement -spot_img
- Advertisement -spot_img

Trump’s Second-Term Cabinet: Loyalty, Controversy, and the Battle for Confirmation

Vancouver, Canada - President-Elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House this January for his second...

Hypocrisy and Betrayal: How Turkiye and Pakistan Enable China’s Ongoing Uyghur Genocide in East Turkistan

Washington, DC - As the Chinese occupation of East Turkistan enters its 75th year, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other...

Must read

Herders Stage Protest Demanding Compensation

Mongolian herders from eastern Southern (Inner) Mongolia’s Heshigten Banner...

My Family Lived the Horrors of Native American Boarding Schools – Why Biden’s Apology Doesn’t go Far Enough

Rosalyn R. LaPier, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign I am...