Naeem ul Hassan
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many changes are taking place in global politics. European countries Sweden and Finland are keen to join the NATO alliance. In May, Sweden and Finland submitted their applications to join NATO. Due to the Russia Ukraine war, many western countries are feeling insecure. Ankara had blocked Sweden and Finland from joining the alliance over concerns about arms exports and terrorism. In June, the Finnish and Swedish governments pledged not to support the Kurdish groups PKK and PYD, in response to which Ankara lifted its blockade. According to a statement by Turkish President Erdogan, Sweden promised to extradite 73 individuals that Turkey described as terrorists. Now once again, Turkey has accused Sweden and Finland of not keeping their promises.”I would like to remind once again that if these countries do not take the necessary steps to fulfill our conditions, we will freeze the (accession) process,” Erdogan said. What is NATO and what is its purpose? The North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO) was created in 1949 after World War II. The sole purpose of its formation was to stop the expansion of the Soviet Union toward Europe. The US aimed to increase its political influence through this alliance. Its founding members include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. Its purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the efforts of countries wishing to join this alliance have intensified once again. Sweden and Finland are at the forefront to join NATO. The Turkish government has repeatedly accused Finland and particularly Sweden of providing a haven to Kurdish fighters and financing terror. Why does Turkey accuse Sweden and Finland of supporting terrorism? In 2016, some rebel forces of the Turkish army attempted to overthrow Erdogan’s government and seize power. The rebel group imprisoned several key leaders of the Turkish government and held the presidency and parliament hostage. Erdogan appealed to the public for help, Turkish people responded to their president’s call and heroically took the streets to defend the nation’s democracy. Turkish people completely crushed the coup. About two hundred people were killed in this incident, including soldiers and civilians. The Turkish government blamed the US-based Turkish leader Fethullah Gulen for the coup. The Turkish government claim that many of the key people involved in the coup, especially Fethullah Gulen’s supporters, have taken refuge in Sweden. Ankara has repeatedly demanded the extradition of these wanted persons. These wanted persons included former members of parliament, human rights activists, and journalists. In June this year, during the NATO summit in Madrid, the leaders of Turkey, Finland, and Sweden signed an agreement. According to Erdogan, under this agreement, Sweden had expressed their willingness to hand over the wanted persons to the Turkish government. Sweden has denied any condition, contrary to the Turkish President’s claims. Due to the same agreement, last month, Turkey showed relaxation on the issue of Sweden and Finland joining NATO.About 100,000 Kurdsin live in Sweden. Sweden has a long history of taking in Kurdish political refugees. Several Kurds even have seats in Sweden’s Parliament. It is a reality that Sweden supports anti-Erdogan political organizations. Sweden supports PYD which is the political wing of PKK’s Syrian branch. PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey. Turkey has special importance in NATO because It has the second largest army in the alliance. Sweden and Finland have no option but to accept Turkey’s demands.
