Sweden denounces PKK demonstration as 'disgusting'
ANKARA
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Jan. 13 denounced a demonstration by PKK terror organization in central Stockholm, where the supporters of the group hung a puppet from its legs that depicted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as 'disgusting' and an act of “sabotage” against Sweden's bid to join NATO.
The supporters of the PKK gathered in front of the historical City Hall in the capital Stockholm on Jan. 11 and hung a puppet likened to Erdoğan by the feet and shared video footage of the moment on social media affiliated with the group and the demonstration drew an angry backlash from Türkiye, a NATO member which already had held off on approving Sweden's application to become part of the Western military alliance until the government in Stockholm satisfies its demands.
The speaker of Türkiye’s parliament, Mustafa Şentop, canceled a visit by Andreas Norlén, the speaker of the Swedish parliament, that was scheduled for next Tuesday. Turkish lawmakers need to ratify Sweden’s NATO application for the Nordic nation to become a member.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador on Thursday over the Stockholm demonstration.
Kristersson condemned the incident involving the effigy of Erdoğan.
“People tried to show their views on the Swedish NATO accession through a disgusting way of portraying president Erdoğan in almost something looking like an execution.” Kristersson told reporters after a meeting with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. “That is bad in every sense.”
Kristersson said he understood why Türkiye is outraged, saying “we would show the same reaction if this was aimed at a Swedish leader.”
He previously told Swedish broadcaster TV4 on Friday that it was “extremely serious” to stage a “mock execution of a foreign democratically elected leader” in a country where two leading politicians have been killed. Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in 1986 and Foreign Minister Anna Lindh was fatally stabbed in 2003.
“I would say this is sabotage against the Swedish NATO application,” Kristersson said. “It is dangerous for Swedish security to act in this way.”
He expressed hope that the meeting between the Turkish and Swedish parliament speakers would take place at a later date.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu described the protest as a racist act and a hate crime. Sweden would not be able to “get away” with a simple condemnation of the incident, he said.
“This action took place in the center of the city, right in front of the municipality, in front of everyone,” Çavuşoğlu said. “Sweden has a responsibility here.”
“Sweden and Finland made a commitment concerning what they can do and put their signature on it,” the minister said, in reference to a memorandum of understanding under which Sweden and Finland pledged among other things to crack down on the activities of terror groups. “We want nothing more or nothing less. Whatever was agreed upon, we want that to be fulfilled.”
The Ankara chief prosecutor's office launched an investigation into the incident following a criminal complaint filed by Erdoğan's lawyers and immediately sent a formal request for information and evidence from Swedish authorities, TRT reported.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said the protest “now risks complicating and delaying the process that Sweden and its future NATO ally Türkiye have begun, working step by step to build faith in each other.”
“This act plays directly into the hands of Russia and weakens our country, and it happened during the most serious security situation since the Second World War,” the Swedish foreign minister said.
Alarmed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland dropped their longstanding policies of military nonalignment and applied to join NATO in May. All 30 member countries must agree to admit the two Nordic neighbors into the security organization.
