Turkey still hasn't given Sweden the extradition list it requires to join NATO

Turkey still hasn't given Sweden the extradition list it requires to join NATO

Sweden cannot comply with Turkey's demand to extradite people whom Ankara considers to be terrorists in order to approve joining the North Atlantic Alliance, because it has not yet received a list of these people from the Turkish side.

 

 A Swedish government official told the Wall Street Journal on condition of anonymity.

 

 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is demanding that Sweden hand over around 120 people linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, a Kurdish rebel movement, before ratifying Sweden's NATO membership.

 

 But in Sweden, they claim that they have not yet received a list of names from Turkey and do not know which people they are talking about, which makes Erdogan's demands impossible.

 

 A Swedish official told the WSJ that last year's NATO application agreement between Turkey, Finland and Sweden did not specify the number of Kurdish activists to be deported or extradited.

 

 In addition, any deportation request requires the approval of Sweden's Supreme Court, which operates independently of political influence.

 

 As you know, Sweden and Finland concluded a tripartite agreement in Madrid last June aimed at solving Turkey's security problems. But Ankara continues to waste time saying Stockholm is harboring members of militant groups it considers terrorists.

 

 Hungary also denied Sweden's bid, citing dissatisfaction with Swedish criticism of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's democracy and rule of law activities.

 

 According to media reports, the North Atlantic Alliance has already begun to assume that the veto on Sweden's entry will not be overcome before the summit in Vilnius.





Sweden cannot comply with Turkey's demand to extradite people whom Ankara considers to be terrorists in order to approve joining the North Atlantic Alliance, because it has not yet received a list of these people from the Turkish side.

 

 A Swedish government official told the Wall Street Journal on condition of anonymity.

 

 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is demanding that Sweden hand over around 120 people linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, a Kurdish rebel movement, before ratifying Sweden's NATO membership.

 

 But in Sweden, they claim that they have not yet received a list of names from Turkey and do not know which people they are talking about, which makes Erdogan's demands impossible.

 

 A Swedish official told the WSJ that last year's NATO application agreement between Turkey, Finland and Sweden did not specify the number of Kurdish activists to be deported or extradited.

 

 In addition, any deportation request requires the approval of Sweden's Supreme Court, which operates independently of political influence.

 

 As you know, Sweden and Finland concluded a tripartite agreement in Madrid last June aimed at solving Turkey's security problems. But Ankara continues to waste time saying Stockholm is harboring members of militant groups it considers terrorists.

 

 Hungary also denied Sweden's bid, citing dissatisfaction with Swedish criticism of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's democracy and rule of law activities.

 

 According to media reports, the North Atlantic Alliance has already begun to assume that the veto on Sweden's entry will not be overcome before the summit in Vilnius.