Turkey sees the conditions for Sweden’s planned NATO membership as not being met. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the government in Stockholm on Thursday of not extraditing terrorists. In addition, Sweden did not freeze their assets as desired.
At a joint press conference in Ankara, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said his government took concrete stepsto the demands of Turkey to fulfill. Cavusoglu replied that he recognized the efforts. However, many more steps need to be taken.
The Supreme Court in Sweden ruled on Monday Extradition of a Turk stoppedaccused by the Ankara government of involvement in the 2016 coup attempt.
Sweden and Finland have applied to join NATO in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine. To do this, they are dependent on the consent of all alliance members.
Among other things, Turkey is demanding that the two Nordic countries no longer tolerate people in the country from Ankara considered terrorists become, but hand them over. Turkey refers to the members of the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK and supporters of the preacher Fethullah Gülen, who according to the government is said to have been behind the failed coup.
Sweden and Finland deny giving shelter to extremists.