The Rojava Committees were formed in 2014 in support of the Kurdish militia fighting against the terrorist group IS in Syria.

But in the spring of 2022, when the then Swedish government applied for membership in the NATO defense alliance, the group shifted its focus to Sweden's NATO application, and has since carried out a series of actions directed at Turkey and the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Projected Erdogan wearing makeup

In June, the group projected the PKK's flag at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm.

The PKK, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, is labeled a terrorist by Turkey, the US and the EU.

In November, they struck again, this time with a projection of a make-up Erdogan next to a rainbow flag at the Turkish embassy, ​​which resulted in Sweden's ambassador being summoned to the Turkish foreign ministry.

But it was only in January 2023, when a doll representing the Turkish president was hoisted outside Stockholm's city hall, that the Rojava committees had their big impact.

The action not only provoked strong reactions in Turkey but also in Sweden, where several ministers have accused it of putting sticks in the wheels of Sweden's NATO process.

- This is abhorrent, to show something that is supposed to resemble the execution of a foreign leader, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) said of the action and called it a threat to Sweden's security.

"We don't want to join NATO"

Andreas, spokesperson for the Rojva Committees, tells SVT Nyheter that the group is against Swedish membership in NATO.

- We do not want to join that and we are working to prevent that from happening.

The application to NATO was submitted without any democratic anchoring whatsoever, he says.

Kurdo Baksi, Kurdish writer and freedom of expression activist, is in contact with the group and has, among other things, spoken at its demonstrations.

When the puppet action was picked up in the Kurdish and Turkish media, he was contacted by several PKK representatives.

- They were very impressed by this action.

The doll has raised the Kurdish issue better than any battle in a long time, he says.