By Ahmet Gencturk
ANKARA (AA) – Most people in Finland are in favor of moving ahead with the country’s NATO membership without Sweden, according to a local media report.
Some 53% of respondents in a poll by research company Taloustutkimus were against the idea of waiting for Sweden, which could face delays due to factors such as opposition from Türkiye, daily Ilta-Sanomat reported.
Around 28% wanted Finland to only move ahead with its neighbor.
In general, 82% of respondents supported Finland’s decision to become a part of NATO, with a mere 8% opposing it, the report said.
Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last May, a decision spurred by Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Unanimous agreement from all NATO members – including Türkiye, a member for more than 70 years – is needed for any new members to be admitted to the alliance.
Under a memorandum signed last June between Türkiye, Sweden, and Finland, the two Nordic countries pledged to take steps against terrorists to gain membership in the NATO alliance.
In the agreement, Sweden and Finland agreed not to provide support to terrorist groups such as the PKK and its offshoots, and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), and to extradite terror suspects to Türkiye, among other steps.
Türkiye says the countries, particularly Sweden, need to do more to fulfill their promises, especially in the wake of recent demonstrations by supporters of the PKK terror group and the burning of Islam’s holy book the Quran in Stockholm.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week ruled out greenlighting Sweden’s membership as long as it permits attacks on the Quran.
“Our view on Finland is positive, but not on Sweden,” he said, signaling a willingness to support Finland’s NATO bid separately from Sweden’s.