Swedish lawmaker who supports terrorist PKK/YPG claims she struck deal with Social Democrats

By Atila Altuntas and Idris Okuduci

STOCKHOLM (AA) - Amineh Kakabaveh, an independent member of the Swedish parliament who supports the PKK terror group, said on Thursday that she received guarantees from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Sweden to provide support to that terrorist organization's branch in Syria.

On her social media account, Kakabaveh said she secured the promise after not casting the decisive ballot that would have ousted the justice minister of the SDP-led government facing a no-confidence motion in parliament on Tuesday.

Swedish premier Magdalena Andersson, who is also the leader of the SDP, said earlier that the government had made no deal with Kakabaveh in exchange for her abstaining from the vote.

Tuesday's no-confidence vote in the parliament was of critical importance for the Swedish Cabinet as it avoided a possible premature end.

Citing a failure to avert the rising count of armed clashes between gangs in recent years, right-wing parties in parliament had submitted the no-confidence motion against Justice Minister Morgan Johansson on June 2.

Kakabaveh, changing her position no less than three times within a period of five days, first announced she would not side with the government.

Swedish media outlets alleged that Kakabaveh had made the switch following a last-minute order by Ilham Ahmed, one of the ringleaders of the PKK/YPG in Syria.

- Deal between SDP and Kakabaveh

In 2021, Andersson was proposed for the premiership by former Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who had resigned.

In need of 175 of 349 lawmakers to be able to form the government, Andersson was only one vote short, and Kakabaveh's ballot secured her position, ensuring her role as the premier on Nov. 24, 2021.

However, in exchange for the vote, Kakabaveh and the SDP reached a deal to support PKK/YPG.

Sweden is under pressure from Türkiye to end its support for the PKK/YPG terror group if it wants to join NATO, with Ankara saying the bloc is a security alliance and that any potential members must take a clear stance against terrorism.

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

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas in Ankara