Turkey asks Sweden to take 'concrete steps' against terrorism to garner support for NATO bid

Turkey has warned Sweden that it must take "concrete steps" against terrorism — which Ankara claims is supported by Stockholm in the name of free speech — if it is to garner its support to enter the US-led NATO alliance amid the ongoing Russian offensive in Ukraine.

"We don't see a satisfactory level of implementation", Cevdet Yilmaz, Turkey's vice president was quoted as saying by Financial Times.

Turkey is combating a resurgence of Kurdish rebels, reflected recently in an attack close to the parliamentary building in Ankara on Sunday (Oct 1), ahead of the opening of a parliament session.

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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said in July that Ankara would no longer resist Sweden's request to join NATO.

But Erdogan's purported commitment to let Sweden enter NATO has to be ratified in the parliament. The parliament reconvened on Sunday but the agenda was overshadowed by the suicide bombing that occurred close to the parliamentary premise.

During the NATO summit in July, while Erdogan agreed to allow Sweden within the US-led military alliance, the allies of his Justice and Development party (AKP) in parliament asserted that Stockholm must act against alleged Kurdish separatists if it has to join NATO.

The Kurdish group Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is accused of masterminding a 2016 coup attempt.

Yılmaz further cautioned Sweden saying that since these issues are very crucial to Ankara, the parliament would be under great pressure if significant measures are not taken by Stockholm. Sweden had signed an agreement with Turkey last year in which it vowed to take stern action action extremist organisations, including the Kurdish militant group.

"Our parliament is very sensitive about these issues because there is a public opinion in Turkey," Yılmaz said.

"If we don’t see enough progress in practice, then the parliament will be under great pressure."

Yılmaz further sharing a clause to the approval from parliament said that it would fairly depend upon if “real concrete steps are taken against the terrorist groups or individuals that work openly against Turkey”.

(With inputs from agencies)

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