Turkey is reportedly pressuring Sweden to extradite or expel suspected Kurdish separatists in order to secure its support for Sweden's accession to NATO ahead of the upcoming summit of the security alliance. Neighboring Finland joined NATO in April 2022, but Turkey blocked Sweden's accession, accusing it of providing refuge to political activists wanted on terrorism charges. Despite lifting a ban on arms sales to Turkey and amending its anti-terrorism laws as part of a deal to break the impasse, Sweden has not yet received Turkey's approval for NATO membership.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Turkey has ongoing expectations from Sweden to curtail the activities of groups deemed terrorist by Turkey, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and affiliated Kurdish forces in Syria, as well as followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkey alleges that Gulen orchestrated a coup attempt in 2016.
Some experts suggest that Turkey's interest in Sweden joining NATO leaves room for a positive outlook, but that progress still needs to be made. "Because of the fact that Turkey has an interest in Sweden joining NATO, I think that the path is open for a positive expectation," said Alper Coskun, a former Turkish diplomat and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Extradition requests to Sweden are handled by the country's judiciary, and the government cannot overrule decisions made by the Supreme Court, which has already rejected Turkey's appeals on various grounds, including the risk of persecution. Despite repeated calls from NATO allies to approve Sweden's bid in time for the upcoming summit, Turkey's ratification is still outstanding. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appealed to Turkish President Erdogan to "clear the way" for Sweden to join NATO, citing Sweden's qualification for membership and strategic importance in controlling the Baltic Sea and the Arctic region, both of which serve as strategic gateways for Russia.
In conclusion, the ongoing disagreement over suspected Kurdish separatists in Sweden stands as a potential roadblock to Sweden's accession to NATO. While Sweden has taken steps to appease Turkey, further progress is needed to secure Turkey's approval. As Finland assumes its position in NATO and Russia remains engaged in its military campaign in Ukraine, Sweden's NATO membership could play a significant role in reshaping geopolitical power dynamics in the region.