Hundreds of people in Stockholm took part in a protest organized by groups close to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) against an anti-terrorism law aimed at normalizing relations with Turkey over Sweden’s NATO membership.

Background

According to Agence France-Presse: “Hundreds of people protested in the Swedish capital Stockholm on Sunday against a new anti-terror law passed in response to Turkey’s opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership.”

PKK Involvement

It is noteworthy that the demonstration was organized by groups close to the PKK and that the demonstrators at the event titled “No NATO, No Laws (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan in Sweden” waved flags of the Kurdish organization, as well as placards reading “No NATO”.

Protesters’ Views

One of the rally participants told the news agency that the idea behind the new law is for Erdogan to allow “Sweden to join NATO” after tightening the country’s legislation against elements close to the PKK.

Turkey’s Opposition

The Turkish President is still preventing Sweden from joining NATO, accusing Stockholm of being a haven for Kurdish activists, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, after talks in Turkey with Erdogan, confirmed that Sweden has fulfilled all its obligations to join the alliance.

New Anti-Terrorism Law

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a senior official, that the Swedish parliament voted to tighten the country’s anti-terrorism laws. The law, which came into force on June 1, will allow authorities to, among other things, revoke a person’s residence permit if they are found to have raised money for the PKK through commercial activities, the official said.

Sweden and Finland’s NATO Applications

Finland and Sweden, against the backdrop of the events that occurred in Ukraine in May last year, filed requests to the NATO Secretary General to join the alliance. All members of the alliance must agree to join it. Turkey initially blocked the application process, but on June 29, Turkey, Sweden and Finland signed a security memorandum that, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, takes into account all Ankara’s concerns related to the fight against terrorism and restrictions on the supply of weapons.

By early 2023, Sweden’s and Finland’s applications had been ratified by 28 out of 30 NATO countries. However, Hungary and Türkiye expressed their desire to consider the Swedish application separately from the Finnish one.

On the night of March 31, the approval of Finland’s request to NATO was completed by all members of the alliance, and Sweden’s request has not yet received the approval of Hungary and Turkey.

Conclusion

The protest in Stockholm highlights the ongoing tensions between Sweden and Turkey over NATO membership, with the PKK’s involvement adding a layer of complexity to the issue. The new anti-terrorism law passed by the Swedish parliament further complicates the situation, and it remains to be seen how the approval process for Sweden’s NATO membership will play out.

Source: AFP