Sympathizers of the PKK and its Syrian wing, the YPG, staged a protest in front of the Swedish parliament in the capital Stockholm on Wednesday as Turkey has accused the country of allowing a strong terrorist presence.
The terrorist sympathizers shouted anti-Turkey slogans and called for Turkish products to be boycotted, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Furthermore, it was reported that the protesters waved so-called terrorist flags and posters of PKK’s imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan.
The incident could cause further criticism by Turkey toward Sweden as the latter had vowed to tackle terrorism after a recent deal was reached on the sidelines of the Madrid NATO summit.
Turkey, Sweden and Finland signed a joint memorandum that allowed NATO to move ahead with inviting the Nordic countries to the military alliance that seeks to enlarge and strengthen in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Turkey held their membership applications until the last moment as it sought guarantees that the Nordic countries would join its fight against the PKK-linked terrorists and swiftly extradite suspects.
The dispute was resolved by a 10-point memorandum that addressed many of Turkey’s terrorism concerns and lifted an arms embargo on Ankara imposed in response to Turkey’s 2019 military operation into Syria.
The Nordic countries’ accession still needs to be approved by the parliaments of all 30 NATO members – a process that could take months – and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned that Turkey’s Parliament could refuse to do so.
Turkey has frequently voiced criticism of the Nordic countries’ approach toward the PKK and the YPG, saying that weapons as well as support have been provided to the groups while underlining that terrorist groups have a strong presence in especially Stockholm.
Swedish TV is also frequently airing interviews with terrorist members. In May, the Swedish state television channel SVT aired an interview with Salih Muslim, a prominent figure of the YPG.
Turkey’s Western allies designate the PKK as a terrorist group but not the YPG, which the United States has partnered with to fight the Daesh terrorist group in Syria despite Ankara’s objections. The PKK launched its insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
It has repeatedly traded barbs with the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands and others over the matter.
