2023-06-25 21:01:20
The President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogantold the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenbergthat Sweden must prevent protests by supporters of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in its territory to receive the go-ahead from Ankara to join NATO.
Erdogan pointed out to Stoltenberg in a phone call that Türkiye have a constructive attitude but that Sweden’s modifications to its anti-terrorism laws to meet Ankara’s demands are “insignificant” as long as PKK supporters continue to demonstrate freely in the country, according to a statement from the Turkish Presidency.
The Turkish president held a conversation this Sunday with the NATO Secretary General, in which Sweden’s candidacy to join NATO was one of the topics discussed.
The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Türkiye, Sweden and the European Union. Ankara also considers the Syrian Kurdish YPG militias to be a mere affiliate of the PKK while the EU does not consider them terrorists.
Türkiye is, together with Hungarythe last country that slows down the accession of Sweden to the Atlantic Alliance and reproaches him for a lax stance against the PKK, the Kurdish guerrilla active in Turkey.
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