2 yıl önce

Erdogan: Stockholm needs to change attitude on PKK/YPG terror group

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discusses Sweden and Finland's bid for NATO membership with Swedish prime minister and NATO chief.

AFP

Türkiye, a longstanding member of the NATO, has raised objections over Sweden and Finland's NATO membership bids.

Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Stockholm needs to change its attitude on PKK terror group and its Syrian branch YPG.

Erdogan reiterated Ankara's demand in a phone call with Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on Saturday.

Türkiye wants binding commitments on all issues, concrete and clear implementation, President Erdogan said, according to a statement by the Turkish Communications Directorate.

Ankara also expects Stockholm to its lift arms embargo, as well as its legal and actual restrictions on the Turkish defence industry, Erdogan told Andersson, adding that Türkiye also wants Sweden to fulfil its demands on extradition and deportation.

Phone call with Stoltenberg

Erdogan also discussed Sweden and Finland's NATO bids with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg over phone on Saturday.

Erdogan said that Sweden, Finland should take concrete steps against PKK/YPG terrorists.

The two Nordic countries must commit to lifting an embargo that is currently in force against Turkish defence industry exports and ensure that they will not take any such action in the future, Erdogan told Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg said he had a "good call" with Erdogan to discuss Finland and Sweden's NATO applications. "We agreed to continue the talks in Brussels and Madrid next week," the NATO secretary-general said on Twitter.

Sweden and Finland, amid their NATO bids, are under pressure from Türkiye to end their support for the PKK/YPG terror group, with Ankara saying that NATO is a security alliance and that any potential members must take a clear stance against terrorism.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK - listed as a terror organisation by Türkiye, the US and the EU - has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK terror group's Syrian offshoot.