Earlier in the week, PKK supporters held a demonstration in Stockholm, hanging a figure of Erdogan by its feet. The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador to Ankara in protest of the PKK rally. In addition, the Turkish Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case into the matter.
"Our relations with Sweden may become much more strained if they do not take a stand against this situation," Erdogan said at a youth meeting in the city of Mugla.
The president pointed out that PKK demonstrations were held not only in Sweden but also in Finland, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
"Unfortunately, these terrorist organizations continue to appear in all of [these countries]. Of course, as Turkey, we will determine our attitude towards them accordingly," Erdogan said.
In mid-May 2022, three months since the onset of the Ukraine crisis, Finland and Sweden submitted their NATO membership applications, abandoning decades of neutrality and citing a shift in the security situation in Europe. The consideration of the bids was initially blocked by Turkey due to Helsinki and Stockholm's long-standing support of the PKK, which Ankara regards as a threat to its national security.
Nevertheless, in June 2022, Turkey, Sweden and Finland signed a security memorandum that unblocked the beginning of negotiations on the accession of the two Scandinavian countries to the alliance. The parties agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, including measures against the PKK, and address Ankara's concerns.
However, despite the efforts taken in this regard, only Turkey and Hungary have not yet approved the membership of the two new candidates out of the 30 members of the alliance.