President Erdogan Says PKK Protests Affect Sweden's NATO Accession Efforts

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received a visit from Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkey)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sweden had taken the right steps in an effort to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) through anti-terrorism legislation, the Turkish leader's office said.

However, the office continued, protests that continued from Kurdish militant sympathizers in the country weakened the steps taken by Stockholm.

The Turkish Presidential Office said President Erdogan made the comments in a phone call with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, amid Ankara's doubts that he would withdraw his rejection of Sweden to join NATO, at a summit in Lithuania on 11-12 July.

"President Erdogan said Sweden had taken steps in the right direction by making changes to the anti-terrorism law," the statement said.

"However, supporters of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party)... terrorist organizations continue to freely organize demonstrations that praise terrorism, which cancel the steps that have been taken," the statement continued, citing President Erdogan.

In recent months, demonstrators in Stockholm raised flags showing support for the PKK, which is also considered a terrorist group by Turkey's Western allies, including Sweden.

Sweden and Finland filed a request to join NATO last year, leaving the military's non-alignment policy following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The membership submission must be approved by all NATO members, but Turkey and Hungary have not approved Sweden's petition.

Turkey itself has repeatedly said Sweden should take more steps against banned PKK supporters and network members deemed responsible for its 2016 coup attempt. Turkey designated both of them as terrorist organizations.

Meanwhile, Sweden said it had enforced its share of the deal reached with Turkey in Madrid last year aimed at addressing Ankara's security concerns, including the new anti-terrorism law.