Türkiye expects Sweden to alleviate Ankara's concerns about terrorism: President

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye expects to see Sweden alleviate Ankara's concerns about terrorism under a tripartite memorandum, the Turkish president said Tuesday, urging Stockholm for more concrete steps.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in the Turkish capital Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is pleased that the new Swedish government said it will comply with the tripartite memorandum signed in Madrid.

"Sweden wants NATO membership for its own security, and Türkiye wants to see a Sweden that supports the alleviation of Ankara's security concerns," he added.

PKK/PYD/YPG, the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), and DHKP-C terror groups "must be prevented from exploiting Sweden's democratic environment," he also said, noting that PKK terrorists should not be allowed to protest with their organization's rags in Sweden.

It is "important" that members of FETO, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye, are extradited from Sweden, the president said, urging for more action on the matter.

- Sweden will 'fully implement' tripartite memorandum

Kristersson, for his part, said his country will "fully implement the tripartite memorandum" signed in June between Sweden, Türkiye, and Finland.

Stockholm understands that Ankara is giving a fight against the PKK terror group and wants to help with that fight, the prime minister said, underlining that he had a "positive" meeting with Erdogan.

"We will take great steps towards the end of this year and at the beginning of next year, especially in the field of anti-terror legislation," he said, adding that his country will take any threat against Sweden and Türkiye "seriously."

He also noted that there is "great potential in our relationship with Türkiye" and said the two countries "can do a lot in trade and tourism."

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the EU, and US, and is responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

The trilateral agreement that Türkiye, Sweden, and Finland signed in June stipulates that Finland and Sweden will not provide support to the YPG/PYD, the PKK's Syrian offshoot, and FETO. The deal also said Ankara extends full support to Finland and Sweden against threats to their national security.

All 30 standing NATO allies need to approve any expansion of the bloc.