– Both countries are making significant changes. They are tightening their legislation against terrorism. They have removed all restrictions against arms exports to Turkey and they are ready to continue this cooperation, says the NATO chief to news today. Stoltenberg says that he again spoke to Erdogan about the YPG militia. During the summit in Madrid, Sweden and Finland signed an agreement that they will not support this Syrian Kurdish militia. During the NATO summit in June, an agreement was signed on what is needed for Turkey to approve Sweden and Finland as NATO members. Photo: VIOLETA SANTOS MOURA / Reuters Sweden’s government has distanced itself from this militia, which it says is part of the PKK. – There is too close a link between these organizations and the PKK, which is a terrorist organization in the EU, for it to be good for the relationship between us and Turkey, says Foreign Minister Tobias Billström. He believes they are damaging Sweden’s relationship with Turkey. The YPG has long been a close ally of the US and NATO in the fight against IS in Syria, and was also supported by Sweden. The YPG stood for most of the successful fight on the ground against IS until IS in Syria was crushed in 2019. – Should step up the fight against terror Turkey perceives the YPG and PYD as Kurdish terrorist organizations that it is at least as important to fight as IS. The country demands that Sweden distance itself from them in order for Turkey to approve its application for NATO membership. – It is important that Sweden and Finland step up cooperation with Turkey in the fight against terrorism, says Jens Stoltenberg. He reminds that no other NATO country has experienced as many terrorist attacks as Turkey. YPG fighters in the Syrian city of Kobane. The Syrian Kurdish YPG has long been a close ally of the US and NATO in the fight against IS in Syria. Photo: – / AFP Turkey also demands that a large number of so-called Kurdish terrorists be handed over to Turkey, and that the Swedish ban on exporting weapons to Turkey be lifted. The last requirement has already been met. When it comes to the extradition of what the Turks call “Kurdish terrorists”, Stoltenberg says that this must go through the courts. – Which people are to be deported is not a political decision. It must go through the right courts, says Stoltenberg. Little practical significance The leader of the Syrian Kurdish party PYD, Salih Muslim, says that the decision to distance himself from his party does not have much practical significance. – As a party, we have never had direct relations with the Swedish government, only Swedish organisations, he says to the news agency TT. He calls the decision just a game. Muslim says that he finds it difficult to imagine that Sweden would ignore its principles on human rights if Turkey intervenes. – I believe that the time has come for Turkey to ratify the agreement and let Sweden and Finland fully into NATO, says Stoltenberg to news in Istanbul. Photo: Åse Marit Befring / news – More insecure time Stoltenberg will not speculate on when the membership process for Sweden and Finland has been completed. First, Turkey must ratify the agreement signed in June. – I spent time during the meetings here in Istanbul arguing that the time has come to ensure that Sweden and Finland become full members. I believe that the time has come for Turkey to ratify the agreement The ongoing war in Ukraine makes it important to complete this process as soon as possible, says the NATO chief. – We live in a more insecure time. There is war in Europe and then it is important to remove all room for uncertainty and misunderstandings. Stoltenberg says that the best way to avoid uncertainty is to get Sweden and Finland fully into NATO. Sweden’s prime minister met the NATO chief in Belgium in October. Photo: YVES HERMAN / Reuters Hardly before the election, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is expected in Ankara next week, which Stoltenberg is happy about. There is tension about what the meeting between Kristersson and Erdogan will lead to. It is unlikely that Turkey will give the green light for Swedish NATO membership before the turn of the year, officials with good knowledge of the matter tell Bloomberg. They also believe that there is little chance that it will happen before the elections in Turkey next year. The election for the new Turkish National Assembly will be held on 18 June. – It is not possible to say that all the conditions from the agreement have been fully met by both parties, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu after the meeting with Stoltenberg last Thursday.
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The time has come for Turkey to approve Swedish and Finnish membership – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
