Erdogan demands that Sweden ban PKK demonstrations if it wants to join NATO

June 25 () –

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has informed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Sweden must ban demonstrations by sympathizers of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) if it wants Turkey to support the Scandinavian country’s entry into the NATO.

“Turkey maintains its constructive position on Sweden’s entry, but the legal changes are insignificant as long as PKK/PYD/YPG sympathizers freely organize demonstrations in this country,” Erdogan said in a telephone conversation with Stoltenberg, according to the Turkish Presidency. it’s a statement.

Erdogan was referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist party-militia with a presence in Turkey, and its affiliates in Syria of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia. ).

In addition, the Turkish president has described as “unfair” the speculations that link the sale of US F-35 or F-16 fighter jets. “Attempts to link Turkey’s requests for F-16s to Sweden’s entry hurt NATO and its security more than Turkey,” he said.

Stoltenberg has indicated on Twitter that it has been a “good conversation” with a view to the next NATO summit, scheduled in Vilnius, Lithuania, where “important decisions on terrorism, deterrence and defense” will be made. “We are going to continue working together on Sweden’s entry into NATO,” he explained.

At the end of March, Turkey gave the go-ahead for Finland’s entry into NATO, but continues to object to Sweden’s entry due to pro-Kurdish activities and the PKK, which Ankara considers a terrorist group.

The United States has rejected the sale of the F-35 fighters to Turkey because the country has acquired the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system and could thus expose vulnerabilities in the US fighter. Consequently Türkiye was expelled from the F-35 program in 2019.

Speculation has subsequently surfaced about the purchase of F-16 fighters to modernize the Turkish fleet and ensure interoperability within NATO. US President Joe Biden has supported the sale, but the US Congress has not given its go-ahead.