Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is stepping up pressure on Sweden, making it clear that he does not intend to allow it to join NATO at next month's summit of alliance leaders in Vilnius as long as Sweden does not fulfill its commitments to end the activities of the Kurdish underground organization PKK in its territory.
Erdogan, who noted that unless an unexpected event happens he will personally attend the NATO summit, he said on his return to Turkey from his first overseas trip after being elected to a third presidential term: "Expectations of Sweden's accession to NATO do not obligate us to meet these expectations. In order for us to live up to these expectations, Sweden must first do its part."
Erdogan called on the Swedish government to step up Swedish police activity against Kurdish underground activists in the country. He noted that during his meeting with the NATO secretary general in Ankara about two weeks ago, PKK activists demonstrated in the streets of Swedish cities.
Demonstration against Sweden's accession to NATO. Demonstrators carry PKK flags, Photo: AP
"What are the police doing? The work of the police forces is to stop them from acting. These are rights of the police enshrined in laws and constitutions. Use these rights. You can't not use those rights and then come to us and say, 'Put Sweden in NATO.' Where is NATO's commitment to fighting terrorism? NATO needs to address this immediately."
Sweden passed a new counterterrorism law last November, which went into effect earlier this month. The law, designed to placate Turkey and lift Ankara's veto of Sweden's accession to NATO, allows authorities to prosecute anyone who supports terrorist groups. Erdogan's first overseas visit after his re-election to the presidency was in Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan
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