Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said his country might have to reconsider whether Finland and Sweden join NATO at the same time if the ratification of Sweden's application takes too long.. It is reported by Xinhua.

However, Haavisto added that joining NATO with Sweden is still a priority, given the security interests of both countries..

He made the comment following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement that Sweden should not expect Turkey's support for NATO membership following the burning of the Quran in Stockholm..

Haavisto noted that recent protests in Sweden have delayed consideration of both countries' applications to join the Alliance.. He believes that the protesters intend to provoke Turkey and influence the opinions of its citizens and politicians..

Finland and Sweden's path to NATO will now be put on hold until at least parliamentary and presidential elections in Turkey in mid-May, Haavisto said..

Finland, Sweden and Turkey are trying to schedule a new trilateral meeting in early spring to assess the situation, the minister added..

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Turkey cancels February tripartite talks to ratify Finland and Sweden's NATO membership. Negotiations were to continue in Brussels with the participation of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The cancellation concerns only the February meeting, and not the entire negotiation process. Earlier, Turkey canceled the visit of the head of the Swedish Ministry of Defense due to anti-Turkish protests in Stockholm.

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Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year after they were concerned about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.. Only two of the Alliance's 30 countries, Hungary and Turkey, have yet to ratify their applications.. Ratification by Hungary is regarded as a formality and is expected soon. Turkey has raised significant objections to the countries joining the Alliance, citing their support for Kurdish groups, which Ankara sees as a terrorist threat.. Turkey demands Sweden, in particular, to do more to deter Kurdish groups before it agrees to ratify their NATO membership bids..