Finnish president optimistic Turkey will ratify Finland鈥檚 NATO application

President Sauli Niinisto was optimistic Turkey would will ratify Finland鈥檚 NATO application. (AFP)
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  • 鈥業t is very important to join NATO together with Sweden鈥�

HELSINKI: Finnish president Sauli Niinisto is optimistic Turkey will ratify Finland鈥檚 application to join NATO, he told reporters on Friday.

鈥淚鈥檓 optimistic that at the end Turkey will ratify our membership, I hope it takes place as soon as possible,鈥� Niinisto told a joint news conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius.

Finland and neighboring Sweden applied for membership of the defense alliance after Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine.

The process has been prolonged by negotiations between Finland, Sweden and Turkey after Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan claimed the Nordic countries support groups Turkey deems terrorists.

Niinisto repeated his stance that Finland and Sweden joining together would benefit the whole alliance.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very important to walk hand in hand with Sweden ... Swedish membership is important for all of us,鈥� he said.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is currently in Turkey and will meet with Erdogan on Friday while Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson is due to travel to Ankara on Nov. 8.