Turkey uses anti-Islam incidents to block Sweden's entry into NATO

A demonstration against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Sweden's candidacy for NATO, in Stockholm, January 21, 2023. via REUTERS - TT NEWS AGENCY

Text by: RFI Follow

3 mins

Ankara opposes the integration of Sweden into NATO, accusing it of harboring Kurdish militants whom it considers to be terrorists.

The burning of a copy of the Koran last weekend during a far-right rally in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm gave President Erdogan the opportunity to close the door even more.

Advertising

Read more

With our correspondent in Stockholm,

Carlotta Morteo

At Linda's, diplomatic tensions only add gloom to the ambient grayness of the Swedish winter.

Whoever did this is an idiot representing only himself.

The majority of Swedes are good people, it's really a shame to hate a whole country because of what an individual has done

, ”she judges.

Moreover, this saleswoman would have preferred that her country remain neutral, as it had been the case for 200 years, rather than venture to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 

Extraditions

Ankara has blocked the entry of Sweden – and Finland – into the Alliance since May.

To lift its

veto

, it demanded the extradition of members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and organizations allied to it, which it accuses of terrorism.

Sweden and Finland made concessions and signed a memorandum.

But since the beginning of January,

relations between the two countries have deteriorated

, with in particular the dissemination by pro-Kurdish activists of a video showing a model of Recep Tayyip Erdogan hanging upside down in front of Stockholm City Hall.

This weekend, a new episode came to complete the situation.

As part of a police-sanctioned protest near the Turkish embassy on Saturday, Swedish-Danish right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Koran.

Postponed

indefinitely

Turkey's reaction was quick: " 

Sweden should not expect support from us for NATO 

," said President Erdogan in the process.

On Tuesday, she postponed 

indefinitely

a tripartite meeting originally scheduled for early February and intended to remove Ankara's objections to their candidacy.

Johan, a tech employee, is very attached to freedom of expression, but blasphemy is disrespectful and he understands anger.

Except that: “

An agreement has been made between Sweden, Finland and Turkey, and we should focus on that,

he believes.

If the countries respect their commitments, that should be enough!

There, what happens, it has nothing to do with the agreement.

I find that to be unfair.

»

Serious

” condition

"

I want to renew a working dialogue with Turkey

," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at a press conference on Tuesday, criticizing the "

provocateurs

" who are trying to destabilize the Swedish candidacy and calling for "

calm

" in the face of a "

serious

" situation.

Many believe that Sweden has already made too many concessions.

The government is even considered a poor negotiator by this industry retiree.

"

No matter what the Swedes do, Mr. Erdogan always says 'no' even when we give him more,

" he says.

Any pretext, he uses it in his favor.

So the burning of the Koran, that did its business.

Only the Americans can exert pressure.

» 

The Swedes no longer plan to join NATO before the Turkish elections in May 2023. 

(

With

AFP)

►Also read

: NATO: Finland evokes a candidacy without Sweden

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

  • Sweden

  • Turkey

  • NATO

  • Diplomacy