WASHINGTON

US media stressed the significance of a tripartite memorandum signed between Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden on the Nordic countries’ bids for NATO membership Tuesday following four-way talks in Madrid.

CNN, the New York Times, and the Washington Post -- three of the leading news organizations in the US -- covered the memorandum on their homepages.

“Turkey has agreed to support Finland's and Sweden's membership in NATO, paving the way for the alliance to grow,” said the Washington Post newspaper.

“NATO leaders will formally invite Finland and Sweden to join the alliance on Wednesday after Turkey lifted its veto on their membership,” the New York Times quoted NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. The memorandum will “clear the way for what would be one of the most significant expansions of the alliance in decades.”

CNN said: "Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on Tuesday that Turkey has agreed to support Finland and Sweden's NATO membership bids, removing a major hurdle to the two countries joining the alliance."

Under the headline, “Turkey lifts opposition to Finland, Sweden joining NATO,” Fox News hailed the memorandum as a “momentous breakthrough.”

Türkiye, Finland, and Sweden signed the memorandum after Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Stoltenberg, Niinisto and Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson met to discuss the issue and Ankara's related concerns.

The memorandum was signed by the foreign ministers of the three countries -- Türkiye's Mevlut Cavusoglu, Pekka Haavisto of Finland, and Ann Linde of Sweden -- in the presence of all three leaders and Stoltenberg.

Following a signing ceremony, the NATO chief said at a news conference that he is "pleased" to announce that the three nations reached an agreement that paves the way for the Nordic countries to join the military alliance.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara