Turkey demands to allow Sweden to join NATO

Turkey, among other things, has accused Sweden of providing safe haven to members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorized by the European Union, the United States and Turkey. to Bloomberg High-ranking Turkish officials say Turkey also wants Sweden to publicly condemn its Syrian branch of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey believes serves as a cover for the PKK.

Turkey also called on Sweden and Finland to extradite 33 people allegedly linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the so-called Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Gulenrelsen. Reuters reports referring to Turkey’s state media.

According to Paul Levine, there are data in a list of eleven people.

– If Sweden decides to deport a number of people, this will have dire consequences for them. He adds that there are Kurds in Sweden who are worried about being left in trouble.

arms exports

Although arms trade between Sweden and Turkey is minimal, it is also a demand that Sweden lift arms export restrictions imposed by Sweden, along with other EU countries, in connection with Turkey’s invasion of Syria in 2019.

According to Bloomberg’s sources, Turkey will not accept countries that block arms deals with it, and the country’s Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said the arms restrictions go against the “spirit” of the defense alliance.

Will Turkey succeed in implementing the requirements?

– I think Sweden will need a compromise, but it is also difficult for the Social Democrats who have just undergone an internal transformation where one of the arguments against Sweden’s membership in NATO was that Sweden would give up the opportunity to defend itself only groups like these Kurds. Giving up on it can be difficult, says Paul Levine.

At the same time, Sweden’s NATO membership is very important. This is an issue that has to do with national security, so there is also pressure on the government to make certain concessions.

loud game

According to Paul Levin, Turkey already has poor relations with many NATO countries, and if the country chooses to stop enlargement, which is of great importance to NATO, Turkey risks becoming even more isolated.

– It’s a very loud turkey played, he says.

Hear Paul Levine telling us more about the Turkish requirements and what they mean for Sweden in the clip above.