Sweden's road to NATO: What was promised, what was fulfilled?

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) - Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last May, abandoning decades of military non-alignment, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, 2022.

But Türkiye – a NATO member for more than 70 years – voiced objections, accusing the two countries of tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups including the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the July 15, 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye.

Last June, Türkiye and the two Nordic countries signed a memorandum at a NATO summit to address Ankara's legitimate security concerns, paving the way for their eventual membership in the alliance.

In the memorandum, Sweden and Finland agreed not to provide support to the YPG/PYD and FETO, to prevent all activities of the terror groups, the extradition of terror suspects, to introduce new legislation to punish terrorist crimes and not to implement national arms embargoes among the three countries.

While having passed legislation amending the country's anti-terror law and lifting an arms embargo on Türkiye, Sweden still has yet to fulfill parts of the agreement related to preventing terrorist activities and extraditing terror suspects to Türkiye.

Recent weeks have seen an increased number of occasions where Sweden failed to fulfill its commitments under the memorandum.

- PKK supporters on Stockholm streets

Supporters of the PKK/YPG terror group on Saturday staged another provocative demonstration in the Swedish capital.

Gathering at Norra Bantorget Square in Stockholm, supporters of the terror group demanded the cancellation of the memorandum signed last summer to address Ankara's concern about the PKK's operations in the two Nordic countries.

They carried pieces of cloth symbolizing the terrorist group and posters of its ringleader Abdullah Ocalan. They also hung an effigy likened to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while another such puppet was shown carrying a piece of cloth symbolizing the PKK/YPG terror group.

Accompanied by police, they marched to the Medborgarplatsen area.

This was not the first such demonstration by supporters of the terror group, who, to the indignation of Ankara, staged similar protests earlier this month and last November.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, UK, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK terror group's Syrian offshoot.

- Quran burning outside Turkish Embassy in Stockholm

The leader of a Danish far-right party, Stram Kurs (Hard Line), on Saturday burned a copy of the Quran in the Swedish capital.

Under police protection, Rasmus Paludan burned the Muslim holy book near the Turkish Embassy building.

Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu criticized Sweden for giving Paludan a permit for the act, adding that racism and hate crime did not count as freedom of thought.

According to Swedish law, the decisions of the Council of Europe, and the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, hate crimes and racism are not protected by freedom of thought or freedom of expression, he added.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said he was concerned that the demonstration would risk further delaying Türkiye's ratification of Sweden's NATO bid. However, he added that it would be "very inappropriate" for him to call for a person to not be allowed to carry out a demonstration.

In response to Sweden allowing the far-right extremist to burn the Quran, Ankara canceled upcoming visit to Türkiye by Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson.

In another measure before the Quran burning took place, Türkiye on Friday summoned the Swedish ambassador in Ankara, Staffan Herrstrom, to the Foreign Ministry, where he was told that the country "strongly condemns this provocative act, which is clearly a hate crime, that Sweden's attitude is unacceptable, that Ankara expects the act not to be allowed, and insults to sacred values cannot be defended under the guise of democratic rights."

Türkiye also warned Sweden that allowing the propaganda activities for which PKK-affiliated groups were preparing to carry out in Stockholm on Saturday was a "clear violation" of the tripartite deal, according to the Turkish diplomatic sources.

- PKK/YPG terror group's bank account in Swedish bank

Even as Sweden remains under pressure to make terror groups unwelcome on its soil, it emerged that the PKK/YPG continued to hold an active account at one of the country's largest banks, SEB.

Swedish news website Fria Tider reported that pieces of cloth symbolizing the terrorist organization were sold for profit, with the funds deposited into that SEB account and from there to the PKK/YPG.

The news came out as new anti-terrorist laws came into force in Sweden on Jan. 1, and the new government is being pressed to keep its promises under a memorandum signed last June to crack down on terrorists in order to gain NATO membership.

SEB spokesperson Niklas Magnusson said in a Jan. 5 statement that "the bank complies with legislation and is against illegal trade, which constitutes a crime.”

But, the outlet reported that the terrorist group's account at the bank and a cellphone collection number were both still active.

Pointing out that SEB has suspended numerous accounts over "financing terrorism and money laundering," Fria Tider described the lender's failure to close the accounts of the terrorist PKK/YPG as hypocrisy.

- Extradition of terrorists

A court decision to reject an extradition request for four terror suspects to Türkiye was approved last month by the Swedish government, according to media reports on Jan. 14.

Authorities approved the decision on Dec. 22, according to Sweden's national TT News Agency.

The fugitives were on a list that Türkiye demanded from Sweden during its NATO membership process, said the report.

It added that the fugitives were accused of crimes related to the July 15, 2016, coup attempt by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and spying against Türkiye.

Murat Cetiner, a former police chief and a user of the terror group's encrypted messaging app, ByLock, told Swedish state television that he was one of the four and was happy about the country's decision to reject the extradition request.

Cetiner is also known as the "mastermind" behind the terror group's illegal wiretapping structure.

On Dec. 19, Sweden's top court rejected another request by Türkiye to extradite Bulent Kenes – a fugitive terror suspect living on Swedish soil.