Sweden must prevent PKK activities, says Erdoğan
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has once again stressed that Sweden needs to do more to stop the activities of the terror group PKK/PYD in line with the trilateral agreement to join the NATO alliance, in a phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Erdoğan highlighted that though Sweden has taken steps in the right direction, such as amendments to counter-terrorism legislation, they continue to allow PKK/PYD/YPG sympathizers in Sweden to freely organize demonstrations that glorify terrorism, recruit individuals for terrorist organizations, and serve as a source of financial support. He emphasized that this situation is unacceptable for Türkiye.
The leaders discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues, emphasizing the necessity to enhance cooperation in these areas.
Furthermore, Erdoğan also had a phone conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The statement issued by the Presidential Communications Directorate stated, “During the discussion on bilateral relations, Erdoğan expressed that in the process aimed at achieving full normalization between Türkiye and Armenia, significant steps have been taken to increase trust thus far, and emphasized the need for this process to continue in the upcoming period.”
Meanwhile, Erdoğan has reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to supporting “the Palestinian cause” and safeguarding the spiritual significance and status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque during a phone conversation with his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas.
The two leaders celebrated the Eid al-Adha holiday and expressed their hopes that the festival would bring blessings to the Palestinian people and the wider Islamic world, according to a statement released by the Presidential Communications Directorate.
Erdoğan, while expressing his deep concern over recent developments in the West Bank, lamented that yet another Eid was overshadowed by tragedy.
The president extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims who lost their lives in the recent Jenin attack and prayed for God’s mercy upon them while urging their families to find solace in patience.
Israeli forces carried out a series of airstrikes on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on June 26, killing at least seven Palestinians, including a boy and a girl, and injuring 91 Palestinians and seven Israeli soldiers, according to a U.N. statement.
The phone call came at a time of heightened tensions in the region, with recent clashes and attacks in the West Bank prompting renewed concerns about the fragile peace and stability in the territory.
In the meantime, the U.N. Security Council has urged Israel and the Palestinians to avoid actions that can further inflame tensions in the region.