Türkiye condemns Sweden for allowing demonstration by supporters of PKK terror group

Türkiye on Saturday condemned Sweden for allowing a demonstration by supporters of the PKK terror group in the Swedish capital Stockholm. “We condemn in the strongest terms the permission to carry out an anti-Türkiye propaganda by groups affiliated with the PKK terrorist organization in the city center, right after the vile attack against our holy book, the Quran, was allowed in the capital Stockholm,” a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said. The ministry called the recent act a "clear violation" of the tripartite deal signed last summer by Türkiye, Finland and Sweden.

It called on Swedish authorities to “take concrete and effective steps, beyond rhetoric, especially in the fight against terrorism,” in line with its commitments in the tripartite deal.

Earlier, supporters of the YPG/PKK terror group staged a provocative demonstration in the Swedish capital.

Last week, Türkiye called on Sweden to take steps against terror groups after a similar demonstration by supporters of the YPG/PKK terror group in Stockholm. Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last May, abandoning decades of military non-alignment, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24. But Türkiye – a NATO member for more than 70 years – voiced objections, accusing the two countries of tolerating and even supporting terror groups, including the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO). Last June, Türkiye and the two Nordic countries signed a memorandum at a NATO summit to address Ankara's legitimate security concerns, paving the way for their eventual membership in the alliance.