“It is expected that Hungary will ratify soon,” says Mika Hentunen. Hungary has previously said that it would not be the last country to ratify Finland’s membership.
16.3. 10:04•Updated 16.3. 10:59 am
Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán will travel to Turkey today, Thursday.
He will participate in the meeting of the countries related to Turkey in the capital Ankara, where the earthquake relief efforts of Turkey and Syria are to be discussed, said Office of the Prime Minister of Hungary (you will switch to another service) on Wednesday.
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan meet at least some of the leaders participating in the meeting privately, the news agency reported Anadolu (you switch to another service).
Orbán will travel to Turkey at the same time as the Finnish president Sauli Niinistö. Niinistö will meet President Erdoğan in Istanbul on Friday.
The NATO special reporter believes that Orbán was in a hurry regarding the ratification
Ylen’s NATO special reporter Mika Hentunen believes that the timing of Orbán’s visit indicates that the ratification is progressing for Hungary as well. This is indicated by the fact that the meeting was confirmed as soon as the media reported that Turkey would ratify Finland’s membership.
Turkey and Hungary are currently the only NATO countries that have not yet ratified Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership.
– This meeting is [Nato-ratifioinnista] a separate issue, but the ratification has been very important to Orbán. He has been very active towards Turkey. He has been coordinating this all along and has been in contact with Erdoğan’s administration, Hentunen said in an interview with aam.
At the beginning of the week, Hungary managed to cancel the parliament’s ratification hearing planned for next week. It would mean that the final vote on the issue would not be successful on March 27, when the country’s parliament was supposed to vote on Finland’s membership.
– Now it seems that Orbán was in a hurry. It is expected that Hungary will ratify soon.
Hungary has previously said that it would not be the last country to ratify Finland’s membership.
Hentunen stresses that although in Hungary it has been said that ratification is a matter for the parliament, the country’s leader has a decisive role in approving the ratification.
– It is clearly up to the leaders. When Erdoğan in Turkey or Orbán in Hungary say that it should not be ratified, it will happen.
According to Hentunen, the ratification of Finland’s membership is “a matter of shouting” in Hungary, which depends on when Orbán presents the matter to the Hungarian Parliament.
– Despite all the speeches, the Parliament can convene for a special session even within an hour, Hentunen states.
Additional information on the negotiations between Finland and Turkey was received on Wednesday
The Reuters news agency reported on Wednesday, based on anonymous government sources, that Turkey plans to ratify Finland’s NATO membership before the elections in May. According to sources, Finland’s NATO application would be accepted separately from Sweden’s application.
Later on Wednesday, Erdoğan told the Turkish public broadcaster TRT that Turkey will stick to what has been promised to Finland.
– We will meet the Finnish president and fulfill the promise we have made, Erdoğan said.
Niinistö confirmed later on Wednesday that the reason for the visit has been known for some time.
– The Turks have hoped that I will be there to confirm the answer when they announce this decision. Of course, I answered the invitation affirmatively and I will go to receive his expression of will, Niinistö says in a statement provided by the presidential office.
Niinistö also informed about it On their Twitter account (you will switch to another service). According to Niinistö, Erdoğan has made his decision regarding Finland’s NATO membership. According to Niinistö, Erdoğan plans to fulfill his promise when the presidents meet in Turkey on Friday.
On Wednesday evening in ‘s A-studio, the Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen (center) also said that Finland’s NATO membership is very close.
– I would say that we are allowed to wait for confirmation on Friday that Turkey could ratify.