Arranged every two years, Finland participated in exercise Cold Response in 2016 and again this year. (Photo: Finnish Ministry of Defence)
With the signing of the Accession Protocols, Finland’s and Sweden’s applications for NATO membership will now have to be approved by each of the member nations.
Over the past few months, Ankara has threatened to veto the Scandinavian nation’s bid for membership.
An agreement was reached last week at the Madrid Summit; however, tensions remain high as only two days after an agreement was reached, Erdoğan stressed that Turkey would still veto the application if the two nations failed to meet Turkish demands.
One of the key terms of the compromise was for Finland and Sweden to extradite people associated with the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), which both nations already recognised as a terrorist group.
Turkey also considers the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units as an extension of the PKK, which is refuted by other members of NATO and the two Nordic nations, although they have agreed to not provide future support.
Although historically the two nations had declined to join the organisation, a close relationship existed with both countries taking part in international exercises, such as Cold Response and BALTOPS 22, and maintaining strong industry ties, such as with the UK and Sweden’s joint development of NLAW missiles.
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