PKK decision from the Swedish judiciary

The Swedish appeals court has upheld the conviction of a man accused of attempting to finance the PKK.

In July, a lower court sentenced the suspect named Yahya Güngör to 4 years and 6 months in prison and subsequent deportation on charges of armed crime, attempted extortion and attempted financing of terrorism.

The Svea Court of Appeal found that Güngör attempted to pressure a Kurdish businessman in Stockholm at gunpoint into paying money to the PKK. In its statement, the court stated that it approved the Stockholm district court’s decision but overturned the deportation decision.

The appeals court’s decision could increase the likelihood that Türkiye will approve Sweden’s application for NATO membership.

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, ending their neutrality policies that began during the Cold War after Russia invaded Ukraine. Turkey, which approved Finland’s membership in April, demanded that some conditions be met for Sweden’s membership.

To approve Sweden’s membership, Turkey wanted the country to fight terrorist organizations, extradite criminals to Turkey, and lift restrictions on the sale of defense equipment.

President Tayyip Erdoğan recently said he would refer approval of Sweden’s NATO membership application to parliament in the fall, but expected Stockholm to take counterterrorism measures in exchange for Turkey’s approval. (Reuters)