‘Swedish PM’s visit proves understanding of Türkiye’s concerns’
While the visit was considered an important step, Türkiye still expects more concrete positive steps from Sweden
SWEDISH Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s Türkiye visit and meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan proves that Sweden has started to understand Türkiye’s legitimate concerns and show sensitivity toward them, analysts say.
Remarks by both leaders during the joint press conference indicated that the meeting went in a constructive way, Ferhat Pirinççi, an international relations expert, told Daily Sabah.
“Sweden has started to understand Türkiye’s concerns and show sensitivity toward them,” he said.
Sweden has reconsidered its stance against terrorist groups and Kristersson’s commitment was important for the Turkish people, Pirinççi added.
“The change in Sweden’s behavior toward terrorist organizations was reflected in the discourse, and it seems that it will soon be reflected in the action,” he said.
Describing the process as beneficial for both sides, he added that Türkiye also gives a message about its security concerns to other NATO allies and international actors.
Kristersson’s Türkiye visit and meeting with Erdoğan were widely covered in the Swedish press.
The country’s major newspaper Aftonbladet, in its news titled “Kristersson wants to strengthen relations with Türkiye by establishing a friendship group,” said: “Meeting with President Erdoğan, Kristersson said that he wanted to establish a friendship group between the Parliaments of Sweden and Türkiye. Kristterson also promised that Sweden would not engage in dialogue with any terrorist organization.”
In the news published in the Dagens Nyheter newspaper with the headline “Erdoğan expects a more positive picture at the next meeting,” it was pointed out that Kristersson promised Erdoğan to fight terrorists harder.
The news also included statements by Erdoğan that he wanted to see result-oriented actions in the next meeting.
The Expressen newspaper, while using the headline “Kristersson met Erdoğan in Ankara,” noted that President Erdoğan wants to see more movement from Sweden in the coming days.
In the news, it was stated that Kristersson described the meeting as productive and said that they would fulfill the commitments of the Tripartite Memorandum signed by Türkiye, Finland and Sweden at the NATO Madrid Summit on June 28.
The Swedish official news agency TT reported that President Erdoğan emphasized that Sweden has taken important steps to strengthen relations with Türkiye, but that clearer signals are needed.
The Svenska Dagbladet newspaper also claimed that Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson and President Erdoğan will meet in Sweden at the end of the month.
Türkiye expects to see Sweden alleviate Ankara’s concerns about terrorism under the tripartite memorandum, Erdoğan said Tuesday, urging Stockholm for more concrete steps.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Kristersson in the Turkish capital Ankara, Erdoğan 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, its Syrian branch YPG, the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and the DHKP-C terrorist 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.
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 engaging in a fight against the PKK terrorist group and wants to help with that fight, the prime minister said, underlining that he had a “positive” meeting with Erdoğan.
“We will take great steps toward 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 European Union and the United States, 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 and FETÖ. 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.
Sweden’s parliament will vote on Nov. 16 on a draft bill to tighten counterterrorism laws, according to a statement Tuesday.
It said the constitutional committee proposed a bill that restricts the freedom of assembly of groups affiliated with terrorism.
Authorities will be provided with the opportunity to be more effective in the fight against terrorism with the new law.
The legislation is expected to take effect on Jan. 1 if passed.