Turkey was the last among Nato's members to ratify the bid, after months of negotiations between Ankara and Helsinki. All 276 MPs present voted in favour. "All 30 Nato allies have now ratified the accession protocol," the alliance's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said yesterday. "Finland will formally join our alliance in the coming days." Finland's entrance into Nato is a significant moment. It shares an 830-mile border with Russia, and the two nations fought ferociously during the Second World War. Helsinki also possesses one of the most powerful arsenals in Western Europe.
Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised concern that Finland and Sweden, who submitted their Nato bids at the same time, had not taken his country's security concerns about Kurdish separatists and militants seriously. Ankara is still holding off approving Sweden's membership demanding more action against what it claims is support for what Mr Erdogan's government deems "terrorist" groups.
This story is from the April 01, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 01, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Palmer illness could rule him out against Arsenal
Cole Palmer is a major doubt for tonight’s Premier League encounter with Arsenal after the Chelsea forward missed yesterday’s training with illness.
Clough would be disgusted by Forest's serial whinging
If the two highest points in Nottingham Forest’s history occurred in Munich and Madrid in 1979 and 1980 respectively, one of the lower moments occurred at Goodison Park in 2024.
Antony's gloating shows.just how clueless United are
The majority of Manchester United’s players were almost too embarrassed to celebrate such an undignified victory at Wembley.
Turbulence that won't make viewers stay in their seats
Shows set 40,000ft in the air usually provide plenty of drama but it’s a bumpy ride for ITV’s Red Eye’, says Louis Chilton
STUFF AND ONSENS
As Shogun’, the historical drama set in ancient Japan, rapidly becomes the biggest television hit of the year, Nicole Vassell visits some of the real-life locations that inspired the show
It's not just the heartbreak, it's wasting the ‘baby years'
On her new album, Taylor Swift nails the specific grief of breakups for women in their thirties, writes Helen Coffey
I'm confused about rights relating to the rail strike
Taxpayer subsidies are running at £2.8bn annually on top of the normal support.
Heard the one about eight friends who walked into a bar and bought a racehorse?
The story of Showtime is a sporting thriller captured on TV, as Zoé Beaty talks to those who found meaning in a mare
Burning issue: why Indian men are setting fire to pants
‘Anti-male policies’ and women-centric gender-biased laws’ are stirring controversy but Shahana Yasmin says the claims of male campaigners don’t reflect the reality of women’s lives
Head of Israeli intelligence quits over 7 October failure
The head of Israel’s military intelligence has resigned over the failures surrounding the 7 October terror attack by Hamas, becoming the first senior figure to step down.
