In a bid to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession, President Tayyip Erdogan’s government plans to engage in talks with its nationalist parliamentary ally, following negative remarks from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli. On Tuesday, Bahceli criticized Sweden for not distancing itself from terrorism, but acknowledged that the final decision lies with Erdogan. The comments made by Bahceli mirror similar accusations made by Erdogan, who had demanded that Stockholm take more action against individuals deemed terrorists by Ankara. Nevertheless, on Monday, Erdogan unexpectedly agreed to move Sweden’s NATO accession bid to parliament, with the support of his AK Party which relies on the MHP for a parliamentary majority. Although other parties in parliament have not explicitly stated their stance on the matter, a senior government official confirmed that discussions will be held with the MHP to address their concerns.
Notably, Turkey’s parliament is set to adjourn this week and will not reconvene until October. Approving the accession immediately would require Erdogan to request an extension of the parliament’s closing date. In the past, Ankara accused Sweden of inadequately combating terrorism, particularly the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the United States.
A joint statement released by Turkey and Sweden on Monday emphasized Sweden’s commitment to not supporting Kurdish groups and actively assisting efforts to revitalize Turkey’s EU accession process. However, the senior official stated that the ratification process would take time and expressed Turkey’s expectations for Stockholm to take concrete actions against the PKK and the group believed to have orchestrated the failed coup in 2016. The official emphasized the need for Sweden to demonstrate its anti-terrorism stance and support for Turkey. Additionally, Ankara anticipates the lifting of “implicit” economic restrictions, such as embargoes and limitations on arms trade, not only from Sweden but also from other EU and NATO member countries.
Reporting by Orhan Coskun; Writing by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Alex Richardson
Credit: The Star : News Feed
