Turkey has accused Sweden of not taking terrorism seriously after an effigy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hanged outside Stockholm City Hall. As a result, Turkey accused Sweden of breach of promise and summoned its ambassador for talks.
The meeting that took place on January 12 was confirmed by Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom's press secretary, but its content remained undisclosed.
Billstrom himself tweeted the following: "The government protects an open debate about the political choices, but strongly distances itself from threats and hatred against political representatives. Portraying a popularly elected president as being executed outside City Hall is abhorrent."
Screenshots of tweets commenting on the hanged doll of President Erdogan in Stockholm
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According to the Swedish media, the action was carried out by the so-called Rojava Committees, "a network for solidarity and exchange with the revolutionary movement throughout Kurdistan," which Turkey has labelled as supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that it sees as terrorists.
Erdogan's spokesman Fahrettin Altun condemned the action "in strongest possible terms" and called on the Swedish authorities to "take the necessary steps without further delay." He also urged Sweden to keep the promises it had made in order to join NATO, adding that expecting concessions from Turkey would be "futile."
Erdogan's spokesman Fahrettin Altun condemned the action "in strongest possible terms" and called on the Swedish authorities to "take the necessary steps without further delay." He also urged Sweden to keep the promises it had made in order to join NATO, adding that expecting concessions from Turkey would be "futile."
"That PKK terrorists can challenge the Swedish government at the heart of Stockholm is proof that the Swedish authorities have not taken necessary steps against terrorism," he added.
Screenshots of tweets commenting on the hanged doll of President Erdogan in Stockholm
© Photo
At the same time, the Swedish government reportedly rejected Turkey's request for the extradition of four Turkish citizens. The men were included in Erdogan’s apparent wish list circulating in the Turkish media of people whom the president and Turkey want extradited.
The men are between 26 and 68 years old and, according to Turkey, have connections to the Gulenist movement, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization as well. The charges range from membership of an armed terrorist organization and espionage to attempting a coup against the government. President Erdogan accused the Gulenist movement of being responsible for the failed coup attempt in July 2016, which the movement itself denied.
This may further imperil Sweden’s stalled NATO bid, as its fate rests on Ankara's approval. So far, most of Ankara's demands have involved Sweden's lively ties with the Kurdish diaspora. Stockholm has shown an apparent readiness to go to great lengths and sacrifice principled positions, as it has already lifted the ban on arms exports to Turkey it introduced following Ankara’s military operation in northern Syria and publicly renounced cooperation with Kurdish organizations it previously embraced. However, the massive extradition demands are a particularly tough bite for a nation that has modeled itself as a champion of human rights. Earlier this month, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that Turkey has made some demands that Stockholm "cannot meet."
In May 2022, Sweden abandoned yet another principle, that of non-alignment, and together with neighboring Finland filed a joint NATO bid, citing a change in the security policy landscape following Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.