– Erdogan is a world leader, says Salih Özdemir and twists the prayer chain between his fingers. The old man is sitting with his friends on a bench in the shade of the big trees in Olof Palme Park. Here the summer air is cool. Özdemir has a daughter, two sons and many other relatives in Sweden, but that does not change his sympathies. – Sweden and Finland can join NATO if they meet the requirements of Erdogan, Özdemir believes. Salih Özdemir has three children and many other relatives in Sweden. Photo: Åse Marit Befring In Kulu, two out of three voted for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the previous election. Olof Palme Park. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news Will enter the Riksdag to influence Hovedgaten in Kulu, 100 km south of Ankara, is named after Sweden’s former Prime Minister Olof Palme. To the right is the park with the same name, and to the left “Stockholm pizza” where you can choose whether you want to eat a “Gothenburg”, “Lund” or for example “Malmö”. The menu is plentiful on Stockholm pizza. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news In Kulu, there is even an election campaign before this autumn’s Riksdag election in Sweden. Along the way, the new immigration-friendly Swedish party “Nyans” is trying to attract voters with a poster stating that they are the only Turkey-friendly party that distances itself from terrorist organizations. With only 23,000 votes, they can enter the Riksdag, it says. The party leader was born in Kulu. From 24 August, it is possible to vote in advance from here. “The only Turkey-friendly party that distances itself from terrorist organizations. With only 23,000 votes, it can enter the Swedish Parliament. Vote for your future”, it says on the poster from the party Nyans. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news Huseyin Isik stops by the pizzeria with the Swedish-sounding name to have a coffee. He also has children living in Sweden. – I am against Sweden joining NATO. Norway should not have been involved either, he believes, and claims that we are trying to create divisions between the countries. Huseyin Isiks believes that Norway should not be a member of NATO either. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news He is also furious about the US role in Syria. In the US-backed fight against IS, the Kurdish-Syrian militia YPG was absolutely central. Turkey equates the YPG with the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), which is on the terrorist list in both the EU and the US. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims that Sweden provides political support to the PKK and the YPG and demands concrete changes if they are to accept the NATO application. Olof Palme boulevard. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news – They give weapons to them. Weapons that kill our children, claims Emrullah Parlatan. He has a picnic with the family in Olof Palme Park. He believes that Sweden and Finland should not be allowed to join NATO even if they obey Erdogan’s demands. The Swedish government denies sending weapons or money to terrorist organizations. The government-run Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah had an article on Saturday which they believe proves the opposite, which also people in Kulu think is true. – Sweden should stop supporting terrorists. They call themselves a democratic country and talk about human rights, and then send weapons. They should not do that, he says. Emrullah Parlatan believes that Sweden has nothing to do with NATO. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news Large family in Sweden Virtually all Turks in Sweden have roots in Kulu. In the Stockholm area alone, there are around 20,000. The first Turks emigrated in the 1960s and 70s to look for work. Kulu is a district with 49,796 inhabitants in the Turkish province of Konya 100 km south of Ankara. As much as 3,700 kilometers away from Sweden, but still many in the city have relatives of Swedish relatives. Muzaffer and Hacer Zengin were among them. Muzaffer first went with his father, and 50 years ago this year, the newlywed Hacer came after. Now the extended family in Fittja outside Stockholm numbers around 300 people. – We thought we would go back, but have not done so. We liked Sweden, says Hacer Zengin. The couple wants Sweden to join NATO, but only if the government stops what they claim is support for terrorism. Photo: Åse Marit Befring After many years as a cleaner and kitchen helper in restaurants, she and her husband enjoy long summers as pensioners in his childhood home in Kulu. – I do not vote for Erdogan, but he is right when he says that Sweden must stop supporting this damn thing, terrorism, Muzaffer Zengir says. Only if Sweden bows to Turkey’s demands will they support a NATO membership, they say. Hacer Zengir can pick his own apricots in the garden. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news Fearing that Sweden will bend over Saruhan Oluc in the Kurdish-friendly party HDP thinks the debate around membership is unfortunate. – Sweden is a pioneering country when it comes to refugees. The Kurds who have migrated there have the right to express their opinions, says Oluc. – Are you worried that Sweden will bend to the requirements? – To be honest, I think these negotiations will lead to Sweden making some changes, he replies. Many have traveled from Kulu to apply for a job in Sweden. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news The Swedish government has already tightened terrorism legislation and is opening up to sell weapons to Turkey. Ilhan Uzgel is the professor of international relations and not surprised by the strong support for Erdogan’s blockade. – They are pro-Erdogan and against Kurds, he says. The professor is one of around 6,000 academics who were fired just over five years ago after expressing oppositional views on Erdogan’s policies. Uzgel believes it is really the US attention Erdogan is trying to call. Professor Ilhan Uzgel is not surprised by Erdogan’s support. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news – One thing is that there will soon be elections in Turkey, and the economy is miserable with sky-high inflation. Erdogan is trying to have a foreign policy success before the election, and the Kurdish question is always a matter of winning. But Erdogan is also trying to get into a position where he can negotiate with the United States on the purchase of F-16 fighter jets, he believes. He adds that US President Joe Biden is familiar with Erdogan’s game and will not join. – Do you think they will find a solution soon? – Turkey has power now, and they are not in a hurry, he says. FvSalih Özdemir, Ramazan Kuzey and Haci Ali Yilmaz watch people pass while sitting in the shade of the trees in Olof Palme Park. Photo: Åse Marit Befring
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The “Swedish” city in Turkey does not want Sweden in NATO – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
