2 yıl önce

Sweden govt blasts Left Party for promoting PKK terror group

Foreign Minister Ann Linde criticises local party lawmakers, calling their support for PKK "completely unacceptable" and reminding them the Nordic country recognises it as a terrorist organisation.

AA

Ann Linde called on the Left Party to immediately stop supporting the PKK terror group in Sweden.

Sweden's foreign minister has slammed one of the country's socialist political parties for promoting the PKK terrorist organisation during Almedalen Week, an annual political festival being held on the island of Gotland.

"This is completely unacceptable. The PKK was branded a terrorist organisation as early as 1984 by Olof Palme's government. And with good reason. The PKK has many innocent human lives on its conscience," Ann Linde wrote on Twitter on Tuesday, tagging Justice Minister Morgan Johansson.

Linde called on the Left Party to immediately stop supporting the PKK terror group.

Johansson also warned the Left Party by posting the same statement on Twitter.

The statement came after Left Party lawmakers Daniel Riazat, Momodou Malcolm Jallow and Lorena Delgado Varas posed with flags of the PKK, YPG and YPJ during the Almedalen political forum.

The forum is an event that sees each of the leaders of Sweden's main political parties give speeches and present policy suggestions.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK terror group has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

The PKK is recognised as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, UK, and EU. The YPG is the PKK terror group's Syrian offshoot.

Swedish, Finnish NATO bid

Sweden along with Finland shunned neutrality and applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance in May, a decision spurred by Russia's offensive on Ukraine.

But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, voiced objections to their membership bids, criticising the countries for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups.

Ahead of a NATO summit in Madrid last week, Türkiye, Sweden and Finland signed a memorandum after four-way talks that included the alliance.

The agreement allows the two Nordic countries to become NATO members but on the condition that they take steps over Türkiye's terrorism concerns and lift an arms embargo on Ankara.

Following the trilateral deal, NATO formally invited Sweden and Finland to join the 30-member military alliance.

SOURCE: AA