What is the reason behind Turkey's objection to Sweden and Finland joining NATO? In foreign analyses, the number of sentences about its reasoning do not exceed one or two. Turkey is portrayed as if it is a country that is objecting out of the blue.

In this article, I would like to elaborate on the objections that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan mentioned in his statements and, at the end of the piece, I want the readers to ask themselves the following question. Would you like to see a country that has sheltered and protected the members of a terrorist organization responsible for a coup attempt that killed 252 of your citizens in one night and a separatist organization that has drenched your country in blood for decades within your security-based NATO alliance?

It is known that Sweden is a safe haven for the PKK, its Syrian offshoot the YPG and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), and that it supports certain organizations close to the very terrorist groups. In addition, Sweden had called on the European Union to impose an arms embargo on Turkey during Operation Peace Spring against the YPG and stopped military exports. It's not over... Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hutqvist met with the YPG ringleader Ferhat Abdi Şahin via videoconference and said that "as Sweden, we are ready to cooperate and help you for a long time."

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Sweden welcomes FETÖ members without question. Carl Bexelius, deputy legal director at the Swedish Migration Agency, had said that "we accept asylum from those who are at a greater risk of going to prison." It is possible to say that some of the most notorious FETÖ members live in Sweden, which can be understood from the fact that they protect those with a high risk of imprisonment.

Sweden has granted work and residence permits to approximately 2,000 FETÖ members including 253 members in 2015, 738 in 2016 and 872 in 2017 after the coup. When it is difficult for ordinary Turkish citizens to even get tourist visas from Sweden, it becomes clearer why people are angry with this country that has accepted thousands of FETÖ members and their families with open arms.

The PKK record

Let's talk about Sweden's PKK record. Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde, who has been at the table with the YPG many times, has regular meetings with Ilham Ahmed, one of the ringleaders of the PKK/YPG. It is also known that the PKK opened an office in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, in April 2016. In the country, there are more than 20 associations and nongovernmental organizations affiliated with the PKK and broadcasting organs such as Aryen TV, Nevruz TV and Ronahi TV. Nevruz TV received a fund of 1.46 million euros ($1.53 million) from Sweden in 2009. Sweden, which provides financing to terrorism, has transferred $210 million of support to the YPG so far! In 2023, it was decided to give $376 million in support to the organization. The so-called "Kurdistan Red Crescent" operating in the country collects approximately 30 million euros ($31.4 million) in "donations" annually. Likewise, the PKK can freely protest and march in Sweden with its rags.

Putting all these together, it is possible to see how right Erdoğan was when he said Swedish officials "should not tire themselves" trying to convince Turkey.

Now, in the light of the information I have listed, I ask that question again. Would you like to see a country that has sheltered and protected the members of a terrorist organization responsible for a coup attempt that killed 252 of your citizens in one night and a separatist organization that has drenched your country in blood for decades within your security-based NATO alliance?

If no action is taken on these issues, the answer is clearly no.