Sweden: PKK's 'extensive' activities are stopping us joining NATO

Sweden’s foreign minister said the activities of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s operations in the country are hindering Stockholm’s efforts to join the NATO military alliance.

“The reason why Turkiye has yet to approve our accession is due to the widespread activity of the PKK  terror group,” Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said in an interview with Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter yesterday.

The PKK has “extensive” activities in Sweden to an extent previously unknown, Billstrom explained, this is the main reason why Turkiye is holding back Sweden’s NATO membership.

“Extensive work is underway to collect money and finance terrorist activities directed at another state – Turkiye.”

Billstrom said Turkiye’s concerns will be eased once its anti-terror law takes effect on 1 June..

The bill criminalises membership in terrorist organisations in Sweden, participation in terrorist activities, and collaboration with terrorist organisations, with perpetrators facing up to four years in prison.

If there are extenuating reasons, the penalty for these crimes will be imprisonment for a period of no less than two years and no more than eight years.

Those involved in crimes such as providing support such as weapons, ammunition, flammable materials, and explosives, supporting transportation and leasing land and property to a terrorist organisation can also be sentenced to up to four years in prison. If there are extenuating circumstances this could be increased to seven years.

The bill also gives the authorities much greater powers to detain and prosecute those who finance or support terrorist organisations.

READ: Turkish foreign minister, NATO chief discuss situation in Ukraine