Turkey’s parliament unanimously approved Finland’s accession to NATO after a vote Thursday, clearing the path for the Nordic country to become the 31st NATO member.
The vote fulfills Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s promise to allow Finland into the defense alliance. It comes after Hungary’s parliament passed a bill Monday approving Finland’s NATO membership.
The Turkish parliament vote was the last major hurdle facing Finland’s bid to join the alliance.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the Turkish parliament's decision Thursday.
"I welcome the vote of the Grand National Assembly of #Türkiye to complete the ratification of #Finland’s accession. This will make the whole #NATO family stronger & safer," Stoltenberg said in a tweet.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö celebrated the news, saying "Finland is now ready to join NATO." Niinistö added that he hopes neighboring country Sweden will also be able to join as soon as possible.
How we got here: Finland announced its intention to join NATO in May 2022, along with Sweden, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused the two countries to abandon their long-held non-aligned status.
Turkey had stalled the approval process after accusing both countries of housing Kurdish “terrorist organizations.” In late February, Stoltenberg said it appeared the diplomatic hold-up was predominantly concerning Sweden.
Turkey has not yet indicated whether it will now approve Sweden’s NATO membership.
More background: NATO has an open-door policy, meaning that any country can be invited to join if it expresses an interest, as long as it is able and willing to uphold the principles of the bloc's founding treaty. However, under the accession rules, any member state can veto a new country from joining.
Turkey is a powerful NATO member, with the bloc's second-largest military after the US. Its location at the southeastern flank of the alliance makes it a strategically important member. It acts as a buffer between the West and a swathe of Middle Eastern nations with a history of political instability, and where Western states have major interests. The fact it joined the alliance in 1952, just three years after its founding, adds to its clout.
CNN's Jennifer Deaton contributed reporting.