Sweden and Finland must deport or extradite up to 130 “terrorists” to Turkey before the Turkish parliament approves their entry into NATO. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had previously made the extradition of mainly Kurdish militants a condition and is now adding a number.
Stockholm and Helsinki have asked to join the military alliance after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Of the thirty member states, only the parliaments of Turkey and Hungary have yet to give the green light.
Sweden and Finland signed a deal with Turkey last June to address Ankara’s concerns. Sweden in particular should first act more clearly against what Turkey considers terrorists. They are mainly supporters of the Kurdish PKK and sympathizers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, who Turkey says was behind a coup attempt in 2016.
Time is running out
Sweden and Finland have pledged to promptly and thoroughly deal with Turkey’s requests for expulsion or extradition of terrorist suspects. “To get it through parliament, you first have to hand over 100, about 130 of these terrorists to us,” Erdogan said. His spokesman said over the weekend that time is running out for the Turkish parliament as presidential and parliamentary elections are due in May.
However, the Swedish Supreme Court has already blocked the extradition of a number of suspects who, according to Ankara, have links to Gülen. However, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Monday that his country was in a “good position” to secure Turkey’s ratification of its application for NATO membership.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
