Sweden hands PKK/KCK terror group member to Türkiye

Sweden has extradited a PKK/KCK terror group member to Türkiye, part of its pledges to cooperate with Ankara to fully address its security concerns. 

Mahmut Tat was sentenced to six years and ten months in prison in Sweden after he was arrested on charges of being a member of the PKK/KCK terror organisation.

He applied for asylum in Sweden in 2015 because of his sentence which was denied.

Tat was taken to a detention centre in Molndal.

After completing the procedures, he was sent to Türkiye by plane.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO in May, abandoning decades of military non-alignment, a decision spurred by Russia's war against Ukraine.

But Türkiye — a NATO member for more than 70 years — voiced objections to their membership bids, accusing the two countries of tolerating and even supporting terror groups.

Türkiye, Sweden, Finland memorandum

Türkiye and the two Nordic countries then signed a memorandum in June at a NATO summit to address Ankara's legitimate security concerns, paving the way for their eventual membership in the alliance.

Under the memorandum, Finland and Sweden extend their full support to Türkiye countering threats to its national security.

To that effect, Helsinki and Stockholm are not to provide support to the YPG/PYD terror group or the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) — the group behind the defeated 2016 coup in Türkiye.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, and the EU — has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. 

The YPG is its Syrian offshoot.

Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have warned that Türkiye will not give the nod to the memberships of Sweden and Finland until the memorandum is implemented.

Unanimous consent from all 30 existing allied countries is required for a country to join NATO.

Türkiye has warned allied countries not to support PKK/KCK/YPG terror group for any reason, including in the pretext of fighting the Daesh terrorist organisation, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has said.

Ankara has conveyed to allied countries "not to support the PKK/KCK/YPG, a bloody terrorist organisation that attacks our borders and our people, for whatever reason, including the pretext of fighting Daesh," Akar told reporters on Thursday.