The Turkish demands on Sweden to extradite people whom Turkey accuses of terrorism have received a lot of attention in news reporting in the past year.

But in the Swedish justice system, there is a great deal of frustration, according to SVT Nyheter's sources, that Turkey is not acting forcefully enough against criminals as Sweden calls for. 

- We are trying to reach out to Turkey and warn that it could become a new Spain.

We don't want that, says a source who works against international crime and who, like many others, wishes to remain anonymous because the subject is "politically sensitive".  

The problem with Turkey, according to the sources, is that criminal suspects can become citizens there, which means increased protection.

In addition, Turkey lacks an extradition agreement with Sweden.

One of the wanted men from Sweden who is wanted internationally by both Sweden and the FBI, among other things for particularly serious drug crimes, has described Turkey in encrypted chats as a "gangster's paradise".  

The "Kurdish fox" was arrested in Turkey but released



Another of the wanted persons from Sweden is the so-called "Kurdish fox", a man from Uppsala with a Kurdish background and roots in northeastern Iraq.

He was arrested last spring in the Turkish resort of Marmaris, after a bag containing the equivalent of 120,000 kroner in dollar bills was found on a park bench.

When the owner of the bag was checked more carefully, Turkish police discovered that he had an Iraqi ID document under a new name, but that he was actually from Sweden and internationally wanted by Interpol.

Despite that, he was released, SVT can reveal. 

SVT gets in touch with the "Kurdish fox" by phone.

He does not want to go into details about his case, but states that he became a Turkish citizen after investing in the country.

This is possible by, for example, buying a home for at least four million kroner.

He says he does not want to be tried in Sweden.

- I am still condemned in advance, he says.

"Exploited by criminals"

Turkey's weak economy is pointed out as an explanation for international criminals seeking the country, says award-winning Turkish crime reporter Timur Soykan. 

- The government's need for money makes Turkey a country that is exploited by international criminal organizations and where you can easily move around with black money, and where it is very easy to make money.

In addition, they get citizenship, he says. 

Has Turkey become a haven for criminals?  

- Yes, and it is connected with the deplorable situation in Turkey.  

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin cannot comment on the individual cases, but says the country does not protect criminals.  

- If you imply that Turkey somehow offers these people a safe haven, and protects them here, then you have no basis whatsoever for that, he says.