Sweden allows another pro-PKK rally despite promises to Türkiye
SUPPORTERS of the PKK and its Syrian branch YPG held a new rally in Sweden on Saturday against Türkiye’s operations targeting the terror group, despite Stockholm’s recent promises to Ankara.
Supporters of the terrorist organization gathered in Norra Bantorget Square in the capital Stockholm, demanding the cancellation of the NATO agreement between Sweden and Türkiye.
The demonstrators, wearing rags symbolizing the PKK/YPG, unfurled the poster of the jailed leader of the terrorist organization, Abdullah Öcalan.
Supporters of terrorism marched in the city center without any interruption by the police forces.
Sweden’s parliament is expected to vote on Nov. 16 on a draft bill to tighten counterterrorism laws.
Reports said that 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.
Türkiye expects to see Sweden alleviate Ankara’s concerns about terrorism under the tripartite memorandum, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated last week, urging Stockholm for more concrete steps.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf 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.
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 antiterror legislation,” he said, adding that his country will take any threat against Sweden and Türkiye “seriously.”
Along with Finland, Sweden applied to join NATO in May in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Türkiye had objected over security concerns related to the banned PKK and other terrorist groups, and over the Nordic states’ arms-export bans.
The three sides signed a memorandum in June that lifted Türkiye’s veto and obligated Sweden and Finland to address its remaining concerns.
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.
The YPG is an extension of the PKK, which launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984 and is designated as a terrorist group by Türkiye, the European Union and the United States.
Sweden, along with the U.S. and several other NATO countries, have supported the U.S.-backed YPG in the fight against Daesh. Türkiye has vowed to block Sweden’s application if it does not stop.
All 30 standing NATO allies need to approve any expansion of the bloc. The application has been approved by 28 of NATO’s 30 countries. The Nordic countries said this week they were optimistic Hungary would also drop its objections.