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Finland’s NATO membership is not final
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- Finland has said it will apply to join NATO, but it’s not a done deal, and Turkey has said it doesn’t favor the country’s membership.
A recent Facebook post warns that World War III is looming "as Finland joins NATO."
On May 15, Finland’s prime minister and president announced that the country will apply to join NATO in response to Russia invading Ukraine.
But Finland hasn’t joined NATO yet, and Turkey has voiced concerns about the country doing so.
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Finland’s parliament still must vote on whether to join NATO, but it’s considered a formality because a majority of lawmakers favor it.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, said on May 13 that Turkey is "not favorable" toward Finland joining NATO.
The following day, an adviser to Erdogan told Reuters, "We are not closing the door. But we are basically raising the issue as a matter of national security for Turkey."
NATO makes all decisions by consensus.
If Finland formally applies for membership, as is expected, leaders from other countries have advocated for a quick accession to the military alliance. It could then take around six months for member countries to ratify the accession protocol, NPR reported.
The statement in this post that Finland has joined NATO contains an element of truth — the country has said it plans to apply — but it ignores critical facts. Finland has not yet formally applied to join NATO, and Turkey could block its membership. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said Turkey has made it clear that’s not its intention.
We rate this post Mostly False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, May 15, 2022
The Washington Post, Why Turkey dissents on Finland and Sweden joining NATO and why it matters, May 16, 2022
Reuters, Exclusive: Turkey 'not closing door' to Sweden, Finland NATO entry, May 14, 2022
NPR, Turkey's president opposes letting Finland, Sweden join NATO, May 13, 2022
NPR, Finland and Sweden announce they want to join NATO, marking a big blow to Putin, May 15, 2022
Reuters, Canada's Joly says Sweden, Finland accession to NATO should be quick, May 14, 2022
The New York Times, Finland’s president talks of ‘a new era’ as he launches its bid to join NATO, May 15, 2022
RFE, Sweden Joins Finland In NATO Bid As Putin Warns Of 'Response,' May 16, 2022
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Finland’s NATO membership is not final
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