Swedish premier decries anti-Türkiye provocations in Stockholm by PKK supporters

By Atila Altuntas

STOCKHOLM (AA) - Thursday's PKK terror group provocation in Stockholm was an attempt to "sabotage" Sweden's NATO membership process, according to the country's prime minister on Friday.

In his written statement to the Swedish TV4 channel, Ulf Kristersson decried the latest provocation that targets Türkiye and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Such a false execution of a country's democratically elected leader is a very serious situation in Sweden, where two of its prominent politicians were assassinated.

PKK/YPG terror supporters on Thursday gathered in front of the historical City Hall in the capital Stockholm, hung a figure of Erdogan in effigy by the feet on a pole in front of the building, and shared video footage of the moment on social media.

Defining the provocation as "irresponsible" and "sabotage" to Sweden's NATO membership application, he pointed out that this is a dangerous situation for Sweden's security.

In Sweden, former Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in 1986, and Foreign Minister Anna Lindh in 2003.

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

But Türkiye – a NATO member for more than 70 years – voiced objections, accusing the two countries of tolerating and even supporting terror groups, including the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

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.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the EU, and the US, and is responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG – which also has a presence in Europe, openly sanctioned by several governments – is the terrorist PKK’s Syrian branch.