– The PKK’s activities in our territory are extensive. Extensive work is underway to collect money and finance terrorist activities that are aimed at another state – Turkey, Billström told DN.
He says that the PKK’s activities in Sweden are a much bigger problem than the government previously thought.
Sweden is the base
The PKK also has clear ramifications in gang crime, says Billström. They have Sweden as a base to draw in money via patronage, drug sales and “a number of things that harm Swedish society”.
“Obligation towards Turkey”
The links between gang crime in Sweden and terrorism in Turkey mean that the countries share a common interest, he says.
– We have to gain from the exchange with the Turkish authorities in terms of information and intelligence against organized crime. But we also have an obligation to Turkey to deal with these problems.